The Legend of Song
by Kira Evangeline
Summary: The avatar was a legend. Everyone knew of the savior. But no one knew of the legend of their cousins. Not even the avatar knew of their soul-relative...Full Summary is ch1.
1. Chapter 1

The avatar was a legend. Everyone knew of the savior. But no one knew of the legend of their cousins. Not even the avatar knew of their soul-relative.

Each air avatar of the seventh sequence had this soul cousin. He or she would be just like the avatar; except for one minor detail.

They could only bend _three_ elements.

The soul mate of this relative would be a bender of the missing element, and together, the two would fight alongside the avatar in times of battle. This, too, had a cycle.

Everyone knew of the avatar's return, even though it had only been a week or so. No one seemed to take notice of these silly facts of legends. They did not bother to notice that Aang was the seventh air avatar of the cycle. Even if they had, the legend of the relative was dead; no one would have known to look.

Now is the time for a new legend. This is the legend of Lady Yue Song. A woman of power and love, of many talents, of many things. She will change the hearts of those who don't believe. And in the end, she will be a savior.

* * *

Yay new story in the works. I know. I have like...fifty, in the works. But, I must keep up with my inspiration!

It changes constantly, you know.

I thought it would be very avatar-esque to start with a little...legend, of sorts. :)

Anyway, the rating says T. There **_WILL_** be M chapters, and there will be a clear warning in the authors note of said chapter at the top.

I hope this was enough to get you all interested. I didn't want to put too much or too little. :3

See You All Next Update :)


	2. Chapter 2

_It was a sunny day, the round ball of fire high in the sky, indicating that noon was just around the corner. I stumbled out of my room, using the wall for support after my long night. Part of me couldn't believe I had slept for so long, while the dominant part knew that it was necessary. I stumbled down the hallway, turning the corner to face my mother, frowning at me from the door. She pointed at me, palm up, and I felt a heat rise throughout my body. It was as if my internal body temperature was rising steadily, and soon I felt as if I was catching on fire. A scream tore from my throat as I dropped down to my knees in front of the hateful woman._

_"I'm sorry mother! Please!" My tears and hoarse voice did nothing to stop the pain, and I fell forward, gasping and sobbing onto the ground, curling into a ball._

I sighed, placing my book down on the bed to my left. The book had been in my possession for six years; this was my third time reading through it. I looked down at the book sadly. A gift from my mother the day she died. _The Golden Bender,_ it was called. It was my favorite book, and the longest I had in my collection by far. The book itself was about a young girl who had disgraced her family's royal fire bender blood by not coming into her powers. It wasn't until she turned eighteen that she began finding her powers.

The story reminded me of myself, in a way. Most children in my original tribe learned how to water bend at a very young age. The basics were in their heads by the time they turned ten. I couldn't do anything until I turned nine. Despite all this, I was told I was quite the talented bender.

I was now the age of fifteen, my birthday having passed a week and a half ago. The party had been small and short, making me miss my home in the Northern Water Tribe. Parties there were long and joyful. The southern tribe was currently struggling with a lack of food, however, so it had just been a simple get together of the entire village.

I pushed myself off of the bed, walking over to the full-length mirror that stood against the back side of my tent. I stared dejectedly at my reflection. Turning fifteen hadn't changed the way I looked. Half of me was relieved, while the other half was disappointed. The first half was looking with pride at my best qualities. My blue eyes, so light blue that the middle of the irises almost looked clear, sparkled in the sun light coming in through the door of the tent. My soft hair, a rich chestnut color, fell in wisps around my face. It was tied in a side pony tail that fell over my left shoulder and down to my breast, leaving my right shoulder and neck exposed. The ends of the tied hair curled up very slightly, also creating a wispy effect. My skin, unlike most of the water tribe, was pale and creamy.

My figure was thin and curvy, with long legs. I was toned due to my own training. I wore dark blue leggings that went down to my shins. The long shirt I had on was a lighter, metallic blue that showed my arms and had a white collar and belt. The skirt stopped just above my knees and had intricate designs around the edges. It had slits up the side to allow easier movement. I wore skin-tight, dark blue, fingerless gloves as well.

Now, my eyes focused on the things about me I didn't like, as I compared myself to the fifteen year old girls at the northern village. My chest was small, though thankfully not flat. My hips weren't as wide as most others, and my curves were shallow. My face had no soft features; everything was sharp and defined. I looked _exotic._ Everyone else had soft, curved features…and I looked so…not to mention the markings….

I turned away from the mirror, looking out of the tent door at the light flowing in. It looked to be weakening, and I calculated that it must be sunset. Giving one last glare at my reflection, I sighed and walked out of my tent, looking up at the clear skin as a cold wind blew against my right side. I squinted against the sun, hearing the sounds of laughter from around me. The children were playing.

"G!" I turned at the exclamation, finding Sokka and Katara leaving Gran Gran's tent.

"Sokka, Katara, how did the hunt go today?" Sokka's face fell, and Katara sighed.

"We were only able to catch ten fish." She said sadly. I smiled, forcing my optimism.

"Well, there are twenty-two of us. Each fish will be divided in half, and the biggest will be divided in three."

"But, that only makes twenty-one!" Sokka pointed out, looking at me sadly. I nodded.

"I can go without food for a night. It's more important the children eat anyway, and Gran Gran." Sokka looked like he was about to protest, but the look I shot him reminded him how my decisions are final. "Katara, Sokka, will you be coming to train with me?" Katara's eyes lit up, but Sokka shook his head.

"I can't. I have to give a lesson to the warriors." Katara rolled her eyes.

"You mean the children?"

"Hey! We need as many brave warriors as we can get!" He replied defensively, glaring at her and throwing his arms out. Just then, a snowball flew through the air and landed in his face, sticking for a moment before falling to the ground and revealing an exasperated Sokka.

"Yeah. Brave warriors." Katara taunted. I couldn't help but laugh lightly at that. He growled in annoyance, stomping off to collect the 'warriors'. Katara stepped toward me as I turned, but stopped as Gran Gran's voice travelled through the air.

"Katara, you have yet to finish your chores." I turned and gave a smirk to her. She sighed.

"I'll never be a good water bender at this rate." She muttered, turning around and approaching the tent again. I turned and began leaving the village, taking in the sight of our tiny village.

Training was important to Sokka and I. The men of the tribe had left to fight in the war and were imprisoned, leaving Sokka and Katara in charge. Normally the mother would take over, but seeing as the poor woman had died…

I was reminded of the story of my own mother. She was from the Northern Water Tribe, and fell in love with an earth bender at a very young age. I was born when my mother was barely seventeen. My parents, both of which I don't remember, raised me for a year together. They were to be married in the earth kingdom, when the fire benders arrived…

My father had died protecting me and my mother. Stricken with grief, my mother left me with several items as gifts before sending me off to the sister tribe and into the arms of a dear friend of hers….now known as Gran Gran.

I finally reached a place far enough from the village that the laughter and playful screams could not be heard. I sat cross-legged on the ground, allowing myself to enter a state of meditation where nothing, not even my past or insecurities, could pierce my thoughts.

* * *

"Hey…G…" I opened one eye, my focus moving from the warmth of the fire to the boy sitting beside me. Sokka didn't look at me, his eyes trained on the fire. "How about we go for a walk? Just the two of us?" I analyzed his expression for a moment. His face was blank, but his eyes…if only he would look at me.

Sokka and I were close friends. His cheesy jokes and foul attitude toward everything under the sun could always make me laugh. He needed to be a bit more optimistic, but the boy had a good heart. Sokka was my age, but my maturity level was, naturally, far higher than his. Whether it had something to do with my origin or my gender, I didn't know. Nor did I care. Sokka was my best friend, and he knew everything about my past that could be known. In return, I knew everything about him.

After a moment, I smiled, despite the fact he wasn't looking at me, and nodded.

"Of course, Sokka." He stood up and offered me a hand, which I took. Pulling me to my feet, he gave me a smile before looked away and leading me out of the village and toward the water. We walked in silence, and despite the fact that it was uncomfortable, I didn't mind it. It changed once we met water. I sat down on the edge of the ice, folding my legs beneath me and watching as the water sloshed up against the ice. Sokka sat down next to me, one leg straight out and the other bent, where he rested his right arm over it.

"G, I wanted to talk to you about something." He said, and I rolled my eyes. The urge to hand over a sarcastic remark was so strong, but instead, I sat quietly. _Well of course you did. We didn't walk all the way away from civilization to have a cup of tea._

"What is it?" I asked, making sure my voice didn't hold any trace of my biting sarcasm. I had learned it from him, in all actuality. He deserved it, but I would humor him for now.

"I was thinking…You've been here for fourteen years…you'll be sixteen soon, free…" He looked out over the open water, a sad look in his eyes. "You don't belong here. You told me that a long time ago." I looked out over the water as well, looking at the moon just above the water from our spot.

"Yes, I know." He drew in a sad breath, letting it out slowly.

"Will you be going North?" He asked, a few minutes of silence having passed. I nodded.

"It is my home. The paintings my mother had left with me….the village looks so beautiful. The people look friendly, as well. Who knows what family I have there….what they can tell me, what I can learn!"

"Women don't bend up there." I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes.

"I'm sure I could convince them otherwise." He sighed. "I know you don't want me to go, but I have intruded on this tribe and overstayed my welcome. I must begin my own journey, separate from yours and separate from Katara's. If our fates are to be one with each other, than we will meet again." Sokka didn't respond. I looked over at him, wishing he'd say something.

For years I had planned on my return to the Northern Tribe, and I had put much thought in the past to the pain I'd be causing Katara and Sokka. Katara was a great friend as well, but I lacked the family ties that I so wished for…a home. One that gave me a warm feeling upon approach. One that I knew if I left it, I could always come back to feel welcome again. A place that I could _feel_ without having to see or hear. It was what I've always wanted the most…besides having my parents….

I was always told how strong I was. Mentally, physically, emotionally…..but I was still a fifteen year old girl who has never met her parents and could not remember her home…and I felt empty.

"Is there nothing I can say to convince you that _this_ is your home?" I smiled.

"No, Sokka." He nodded lightly.

"Well, than….you could at _least_ give me a chance before you leave!" I was about to roll my eyes before I realized that I had already started laughing. "What?" He looked offended, despite the tinge of pink on his cheeks.

"You choose the most inopportune moments, Sokka." I said, gasping for air. He growled, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Come on! Why won't you go out with me?" I laughed more, falling onto my back and holding my sides as he huffed.

"Ah, Sokka. Don't you understand? You're not my type. You are far more suited to be my best friend than my boyfriend." He sighed, leaning forward.

"Yeah, yeah. You always say that." I smirked.

"Come on, we need to get back to the village." I said, standing up. He stood up with me, grabbing my upper arm before I turned. He looked down at me as I looked up, only slightly shorter than him. His blue eyes locked with mine, and a look of longing passed through them. I felt bad; he had always had a crush on me. He reached upwith his right hand and placed it on my shoulder. Actually, not what I was expecting. I need to give him more credit.

"No matter what happens, you'll always have a home here. With me and Katara." I smiled up at him.

"Of course, Sokka. This will always be my home away from home."

* * *

"G! Hey, G! Gran Gran! Everybody! Come out and meet Aang!" I opened my eyes, feeling rather annoyed that my meditation was interrupted….again.

"Yesterday by Sokka. This morning by some large animal I've never seen in my life, and now by Katara. Since when did meditating become illegal?" I asked no one bitterly, pushing myself up from my position on my floor. I had been sitting with my legs folded under me, and while comfortable, my legs had become quite stiff. I stretched my legs, pushing the door of the tent out of the way to see the entire village facing Sokka, Katara, and a boy.

"Aang, this is the entire village. Entire village, Aang." Katara said, gesturing lightly. The boy bowed, and everyone shied away. I raised an eyebrow, staying where I was and looking at him curiously. _He has markings…arrows…I wonder if it's got anything to do with me…But they look nothing like mine.._

"Uhh, Katara?" He asked, leaning over toward her slightly. "Why are they all looking at me like that…Did Appa _sneeze_ on me?" He took a quick look at his clothes as Gran Gran stepped forward.

"Well, no one has seen an air bender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct until my granddaughter and grandson found you."

"Extinct?" He sounded genuinely confused, and I had to stop myself from rudely asking what rock he's lived under all of his life.

"Aang, this is my grandmother." Katara said, gesturing to her.

"Call me Gran Gran." Suddenly, Sokka grabbed Aang's staff.

"What is this, a weapon? You can't stab anything with this!" He said, inspecting the wooden staff. I rolled my eyes. _I've never met an air bender, Sokka, but even I'm not that stupid._

"It's not for stabbing." He replied, and he created a stream of air that suctioned the staff into his hand. "It's for air bending!" He opened the staff somehow, and it became a glider. Even my eyes widened in wonder. The young girl next to me stepped forward.

"Magic trick! Do it again!" Aang smiled at her.

"Not magic, air bending. It lets me control the air currents around my glider and fly!" He said happily, turning the staff to show them the different angles.

"You know, last time I checked, humans can't fly." Sokka said condescendingly. I rolled my eyes, though a small smile broke through.

"Check again!" Suddenly, he launched himself into the air, hanging onto his glider. He soared upward, doing loops as the villagers stared in awe or pointed in excitement and wonder. I watched as he turned his head, smiling at Katara. In fact, he was so busy smiling at her, he crashed straight into Sokka's watchtower. Sokka's jaw dropped, his hands flying up intoi the air.

"My watchtower!" Katara walked over to Aang, who was recovering from his collision. She pulled him up onto his feet, giving him a friendly smile as Sokka observed the damage with a sullen expression.

"That was amazing!" Sokka looked up with another exasperated gesture.

"Great. You're an air bender, Katara's a water bender, together you can just waste time all day long!" I smirked, trying to hide my laughter. Ah, Sokka.

"You're a water bender!" Aang looked at her with excitement. Katara looked down a bit sheepishly.

"Well, sort of. Not yet."

"G is." Sokka mumbled, waving over at me. Aang looked over, his eyes filled with wonder.

"All right. No more playing. Come on, Katara, you have chores." Katara hesitantly left Aang, running up to Gran Gran and speaking in hushed but excited tones. The children had immediately surrounded Aang, who had at first looked disappointed. I figured he'd want to talk to me, but I shrugged it off. He can find me later. I stepped toward my tent, stopping at the door and turning toward the village.

"I'm going to meditate. If I get bothered for a third time _today_….we'll get to that when it happens." I said loudly. Sokka gave me a look, telling me clearly that I wasn't as threatening as I had hoped. I shot him a glare, disappearing into my tent.

"G! Flare!" I growled. Now he was interrupting my training! Damnit, Sokka! I turned to look at him, my mouth open into a snarl, ready to throw an insult, when I looked up and saw the red flare exploding in the sky. My jaw dropped.

"What….where did it come from?" I had never seen a flare before, but I knew what they were for.

"The fire navy ship! That air bender must have done it! The whole village is waiting for him to return, we're going to get rid of this problem once and for all!" He grabbed my wrist, running in the opposite direction and pulling me behind him.

"Hey…wait…Sokka!" I pulled against him, pushing back my shock. "I don't think that boy wants to alert the fire nation…he's an air bender! It was probably a mistake…"

"We can't take any chances, G. He's with Katara, come on!" He dragged me back to the village, where everyone was gathered, waiting silently. Sokka let go of my arm, breathing heavy and stepping up front. Katara and Aang weren't far, and when they reached our group, Sokka began.

"I knew it! You signaled the fire navy with that flare! You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?"

"Aang didn't do anything. It was an accident." Katara explained calmly, as if a giant red flag _hadn't_ just been waved in the air, inviting fire nation soldiers to approach our tiny village.

"Yeah, we were on the ship and there was this booby trap and well….we boobied right into it." He said sheepishly, looking down.

"Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship. Now we could all be in danger." Gran Gran said wisely.

"Don't blame Katara! I brought her there…" he looked down guiltily. "It's my fault…"

"Aha!" Sokka exclaimed, pointing. "The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy!" The children, sadly, began walking behind us. "The foreigner is banned from our village!"

"Sokka! You're making a mistake!" Katara yelled, anger fueling her.

"No! I'm keeping my promise to dad! I'm protecting you from threats like him!"

"Aang is not our enemy! Don't you see? Aang's brought us something we haven't had in a long time. Fun."

"Fun? We can't fight fire benders with fun!" Aang suddenly smiled.

"You should try it sometime." I giggled in response. Yes, what a way to battle.

"Get out of our village, now!"

"Sokka…" I said, placing a hand on his bicep. He looked at me, some of his anger melting away.

"Grandmother, please, don't let Sokka do this!" The hard look came back to his eyes.

"Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think it best if the air bender leaves." Katara snapped, causing me to raise a brow.

"Then I'm banished too! Come on, Aang, Let's go!" She turned away with Aang, who looked slightly clueless.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sokka asked, anger mixed with shock in his voice.  
"To find a master water bender! Aang is taking me to the North Pole!"

"I am? Great!" My jaw dropped, and my heart fluttered. The North Pole…he is going there? I went to take a step forward, but Sokka grabbed my arm. I shifted uncomfortably. I can convince _someone_ to teach me, I'm sure. But…

"Katara…"

"Katara…Would you really choose him over your tribe? Your own family?" He said this, but his eyes were on me. We had a silent conversation, and I felt anger course through me. I didn't belong here, so why was he trying to force me to stay?

"It was nice meeting everyone." A dejected voice spoke, and we both looked over to see Aang climbed up onto his bison.

"Let's see your bison fly now, air boy." I clicked my tongue in annoyance and elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Come on, Appa, you can do it! Yip, yip!" The bison grumbled and only stood.

"Yeah, I thought so." This time I blatantly slapped his arm hard. Just then, one of the children ran forward with a cry.

"Aang! Don't go! We'll miss you!" She said, tears in her eyes. I looked at her sadly, glaring at Sokka before turning away.

"I'll miss you too…" I ran back into the village, entering my tent. I was tired. Sokka was overreacting. Besides, an air bender would be very important to us if the fire navy did appear. Any benders we could get would help…

I stood in front of the mirror, determination on my face. I'd ready myself, just in case there was an attack….

* * *

Well, there is the first chapter. Next, we'll get Zuko in :)

Hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are appreciated greatly. While I don't mind the way this chapter went, I believe it will improve :) Chapter two is already pretty much done, and then it'll be on to chapter 3!

SYANU


	3. Chapter 3

I only own my OC! (Forgot this last chapter, whoops!)

* * *

"Do you think they'll come?" I looked over at him from the right side of his tower. He was staring out over the white land as far as he could see, towards the water. He was standing while I sat, my eyes closed. I had simply been _listening,_ which I found far more effective than staring out into nothing. I shifted on my spot, checking to make sure my sitting hadn't moved any of my weapons. I had a broadsword on my back, which was entirely useless. I called it my last resort weapon. I didn't even know how to hold it. Hanging from my belt on my right was a dagger with a blade of 10 inches. A boomerang Sokka had given me long ago that was identical to his hung from the left side. My water bending was my main fighting method, I had decided long ago. Sokka and I would always spar with hand-to-hand combat when we were slightly younger, but I felt my bending was strong. I was confident.

"If they do, they do." He shot me a look, to which I shrugged. He rolled his eyes before setting his stare back out into the white nothingness. I closed my eyes again, trying to ignore the dull wind in my ears. I felt snow fall onto my skin, as it had all morning. I opened my eyes, smiling…until I saw it.

The snow had been white, but now was coming down with darker tones. Every second it fell, it became blacker.

"Sokka…" he picked up a handful of snow off of the wall on which he stood, looking at it gravely.

"Oh no…" We both looked up as the ground began to shake, and we focused on a dark outline approaching. The vibrations shook the wall, and it wasn't long before Sokka's watchtower collapsed. "Oh man!" He whined.

"Sokka!" I Snapped, bringing him back to reality. He looked at me, than at the ship, which was now…almost on top of us.

"oh…man…" He muttered, and I jumped off of the wall. I ran over to the center of the village, standing in front of everyone as they gathered.

"Go inside!" I demanded, but everyone seemed so scrambled and confused. Katara ushered a child inside, and turned to look at the ship, noticing Sokka frozen in front of it.

"Sokka, get out of the way!" However, Sokka was frozen in place. That is, until the ship pushed the snow and ice to a point that the wall came tumbling down, along with Sokka. The ship finally came to a stop, steam rising up from the ship wherever the ice and snow had made contact. We were all frozen, and I could feel my heart hammering in my chest. A creaking and scraping could be heard as the bowsprit of the ship opened and folded downwards into our tiny village. Sokka scrambled to get out of the way, barely making it and being thrown back to the ground from the force of the plank connecting with our ice. Steam shrouded our view of the inside for several seconds, before it was revealed. Several soldiers stood behind one man….no, boy. I squinted. He couldn't be older than me! They wore red armor and red helments that, to me, looked ridiculous. The soldiers had silver protectors over their faces as well. I briefly wondered why the boy didn't wear the extra protection.

The group walked down the gangplank toward us, and I put a bored expression on my face. He was a silly teenager. Judging by that scar on his face, he was careless as well. Sokka stood, finally, bringing up his club and charging with a battle cry. With no difficulty whatsoever, the teenager side kicked Sokka, first disarming his weapon and then kicking him off of the plank and continued the journey toward us. I snorted softly at Sokka, shaking my head as he struggled to pull his head out of the snow. I felt all presence behind me recede slightly, and I knew everyone drew back in fear. Katara and Gran Gran stood slightly behind me and to my right. About ten feet away, his soldiers stopped and the boy stepped forward. He scanned the village, his eyes lingering on me a second more than they probably should. _What? Just because I dress different…_ I growled in my head. I already felt as if he would infuriate me every second of my life. _Judgemental, first five seconds here. Thank Tui he's fire nation._ I almost laughed at my own thoughts. Thanking the moon that the enemy was here wasn't exactly sane.

The boy's eyes rested on Katara and Gran Gran.

"Where are you hiding him?" His voice held a demand that the villages were obviously frightened by, but I found it quite funny. He sounded like he was ten seconds from a tantrum. Perhaps _his_ maturity matched Sokka's. Suddenly he reached forward and grabbed Gran Gran, pulling her forward. I brought my fists up, my muscles tensing as fear crossed her face. "He'd be about this age? Master of all elements?" He asked, his eyes scanning the crowd.

You could hear a pin drop….in the snow.

I glared at him strongly, and his eyes locked mine for a moment as he returned it, pushing Gran Gran back to Katara. He brought his fist back, waving it and releasing a line of fire that went over the heads of the villagers. I ducked slightly, along with the rest of the villagers who let out cries of fear.

"I _know_ you're hiding him!" He said with determination, causing me to slightly arch a brow. _Really?_ I rolled my eyes. _This boy has issues!_

Just then, Sokka came running at the boy again, crying out as he ran. I rolled my eyes again. Didn't he realize that a battle cry is not an effective method of completing any attack? Idiot.

Of course, the boy easily flipped him, and he landed to the right of the tribe. He rolled out of the way immediately of a blast of fire, and landed in front of me, throwing his boomerang with excellent aim. The boy dodged at the last second with a hilarious look of surprise before looking back at Sokka with a growl.

"Show no fear!" I looked over as the small boy tossed Sokka a spear.

"No, Sokka!" I hissed, hoping he'd see reason. There is no way he could win this. Regardless, Sokka stood and charged head on, resulting in the boy breaking his spear, hitting it against his head several times until he fell, and then breaking it in half with a mildly annoyed expression on his face. Were I not slightly worried that Sokka would get the hell singed out of him, I would have been laughing uncontrollably. The prince looked down at him, and I gasped as I noticed the boomerang finally returning. With a curve, it hit the boy in the back of the head, causing him to cry out in surprise and mild pain as his helmet twisted slightly. Unfortunately, that pissed him off far more. He balled his hands into fists, fire in his grasp. That was when a penguin carrying a very familiar boy knocked him over, flipping him back toward his group of soldiers and causing him to land face-first in the snow, his helmet now worn by his backside. I let out a burst of laughter, which was heard well over the children's expression of happiness at Aang's return.

"Hey Katara! Hey Sokka!" Aang said as the penguin walked away. Sokka looked quite exasperate.

"Hi, Aang. Thanks for coming." He said, his voice sounding disappointed, like the look on his face that brought me to hold my grin. Aang stepped forward, facing the semicircle of fire benders approaching. With his staff, he directed air and snow into their faces. Snow covered the benders, and the boy looked up with new energy at his target, the snow melting off of him into steam.

"Looking for me?" Aang asked innocently.

"_You're_ the air bender? You're the avatar?" He asked incredulously.

"Aang?"

"No way…" Katara and Sokka sounded amazed. Both benders assumed the appropriate stance for their skills and began circling each other.

"I've spent years preparing for this encounter, meditating, training. You're just a child!" He said harshly.

"Well, you're just a teenager!" Aang replied. _My thoughts exactly!_ I sung happily.

In my head, of course.

The boy didn't like that response very much. He began to shoot fire at Aang, who spun his staff quickly to diffuse the flames. At one point, the fire blast was powerful enough to fall outside the boundary his staff created, and it caused the fire to soar over the heads of the villagers. I stepped forth immediately, bringing up a wall of water to protect the villagers as Aang looked back with horror. Aang stopped spinning the staff, noticing that the boy had stopped shooting fire and was now looking at…me…

"If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?" The moment was tense, and I kept the water up just in case. The boy relaxed from his stance and gave one small nod. Two soldiers came to Aang, one grabbing his staff and then both taking one arm. I dropped the wall of water and Katara stepped forward.

"No, Aang, don't do this!" she cried, looking at him with worry. Aang looked back with a sense of ease.

"Don't worry Katara; it'll be okay." He sounded confident, but the fire nation boy looked back.

"Wait." Everyone stopped, the villagers looking at him with fear. What else could he possibly want? "I was told that water benders did not exist in this tribe…" He said, his voice low and rough, and obviously the statement was something he was saying for his own benefit. "The water bender comes with us."

"What!"Aang cried.

"No!" Gran Gran's exclamation was drowned out by Katara and Sokka.

"Absolutely not!"

"You can't have her!"

"Okay." I said, shrugging. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Gran Gran all looked at me with shock, the rest of the village with fear. "If I get to bring my personal belongings." He gave another nod.

"G!" Sokka came up to me, grabbing my arm and pulling me to him. "Are you insane? They'll kill you!" I smirked.

"I don't think they will. Besides, it makes them happy so they won't bother you, and I can keep an eye on the avatar." I said, ripping my arm from his grasp and walking around him to my tent. I heard a soldier at my door as I packed my bag. I brought the jewelry left by my mother, as well as the books and pictures left by both. Katara's ring she made for me when we were kids went into the bag as well. Slipping the bag over my shoulder, I nodded.

Who knows, this could be the last time I saw my tent.

I was okay with the fact that I was leaving with the enemy. I was a new journey. Of course, I would plan my escape immediately. But I couldn't make myself feel upset.

I was leaving.

I didn't _belong _here. I was leaving. I was going to see something more, even _if_ it was only the fire nation in the end. I'd see something other than ice.

I left my tent, the fire nation soldier putting a hand on my shoulder as if he were leading me to the ship. I raised an eyebrow at him, stopping.

"Do not touch me." I said softly, and the masked soldier hesitatingly took his hand off my shoulder. I smirked, waving to the villagers.

"G…"

"I'll be fine Sokka." I said, a bored tone in my voice. The boy was looking at me curiously as I approached, as if he was appalled at my behavior. I held my smirk though, and he turned away without a word. We were led up the plank after him by the soldiers, and both Aang and I turned around.

"Bye!" I said happily.

"Take care of Appa for me until I get back!" He yelled as we both crosses the threshold onto the ship.

"Head a course to the fire nation!" The boy spoke with demand, and I briefly wondered why a teenager was in charge. "I'm going home…" He said, a hint of relief in his quiet voice. We were led up on deck, Aang behind me as I was pushed to follow the boy. We were on deck in a few minutes, and I looked over the side as best I could to see the village. Unfortunately, I couldn't. I looked back at the boy, who was looking at the staff and my weapons in the guard's hands. I turned to the guard on my left.

"Hey. Hey, you." He looked down at me with a curious yet stern expression. "Who is this guy? Why are you taking orders from a teenager?" He looked back up.

"He is the prince." _Oh, a prince….Great._

"These will make excellent gifts for my father. I suppose you wouldn't know about fathers, being raised by monks." The prince spoke low, but a harsh undertone was in it. I glared. That was a rude statement. "Take the prisoners to the prison hold and put them in two different cells." He shoved the staff into an old man's hands. "and take these to my quarters." The prince walked away, and the guards grabbed me. They held my arms, which were not tied, unline Aang's.

"Hey, you mind taking this to his quarters for me?" I looked back at the old man as he shoved it into the guard's hands. I giggled, and he smiled at me as he, too, turned away. Aang and I were led down some stairs. We were led down the hall in silence, and I sighed loudly in annoyance.

"So…I guess you never fought an air bender before. I bet I can take you both with my hands tied behind my back." I grinned. This kid was bold.

"Silence!" the lead guard snapped. The lead guard was one of mine. I guess they didn't find me to be a huge threat, which annoyed me. I didn't have time to reflect on the situation though, because a blast of air pushed me forward. I scrambled against it as the two guards around me went flying.

"Come on!" I turned around as Aang pointed up the stairs and I took off after him. We appeared on deck, and I squinted as I looked right up into the sun.

"Damnit." I muttered. I felt a hand grab my wrist and looked over at Aang.

"Let's go get our stuff back!" I nodded, smiling, before letting him drag me down another hallway. He let go of my wrist as we entered. Behind us, we could hear a guard shouting about our escape, and we both picked up pace. After two turns, three soldiers blocked our way. "You haven't seen my staff around, have you?" The soldiers seemed to stare blankly at him before starting to approach us. I stepped forward and reached down into my shirt, stopping the guards as they stared at me with a shocked expression. I smirked, bringing out my waterskin and opening the top. I sent a whip of water at them, knocking one down and tripping another.

"Thanks anyway!" Aang shouted as we ran passed the last. I laughed at his dumbfounded expression. At another turn, one soldier blocked our path, but Aanh took him down by simply jumping over him and using his helmet to cut his bonds, which caused the guard to fall and become disoriented long enough for us to run past.

"Let's check the rooms." I said quickly. Aang opened doors on the left side of the hall while I opened doors on the right. Suddenly, I heard an exclamation of "My Staff!" and I turned and followed him into a room. The door slammed shut behind me and Aang froze as I turned. The prince.

"Looks like I underestimated the two of you." My eyes locked with his for a brief moment, and a look of confusion passed through them for a moment before he brought up his first and shot fire at me. Barely dodging, I turned and ran toward my weapons as Aang ran forward to distract him and dissipate the fire balls with air balls. I strapped my weapons on, cursing at myself when I realized I left my waterskin in the hall.

"Shit."I muttered, tying on my dagger and turning to the fight. The prince was just now bursting out of some kind of wrap Aang had him in. With a cry of frustration, the prince charged at Aang, who knoced him backwards. Using his air bending, he lifted the mattress and flung it against the prince, who was now flung against the wall and held there by the mattress, letting out a ground of pain. The mattress fell, the prince falling on top of it. Aang made the mattress lift again, this time slamming the prince up against the ceiling. I let out a small laugh as the two of us flew out the door before he even hit the ground again. I followed Aang out of the ship, passed the man at the helm and onto the bridge.

"I'll use water bending to get away. Use your glider!" I instructed, running to the edge. Aang opened his glider and jumped, but I noticed something as I looked up. I gasped, running forward. "Aang!" The prince grabbed onto Aang's foot with a cry, and they both landed painfully onto the ship. I ran to join them, but someone grabbed my arm tightly. I turned to see a soldier, and I immediately unsheathed my dagger. I swiped at the man's hand, causing him to let go of me. Immediately sheathing it, I bending water up onto the ship, freezing the ground between me and the guard, as well as his fast approaching buddies. A few slipped, while others simply melted the ice beneath them. I took a step back, bringing more water around to whip a few in the face.

"Aang!" A cry of despair caught my attention and everyone looked up. I looked over at the prince, but he was at the edge, looking down.

"Oh no!" I yelled, running to the edge as well and looking over into the water. A light seemed to shine under the water, and then Aang burst up from the water, bending water like I've never imagined. "Oh my…." I stepped back from the edge, running as far away from the side as possible. Aang landed on the ship a moment later and bended the water into circles around it. "Oh dear…" I muttered, bending my own wall of water as I stood against the wall of the ship. I froze it around me as a shield just as Aang sent the shockwave of water at the prince and his men. I watched the water hit my ice shield and found the shield shattering at the power. I cried out as the water hit me, but my shield had weakened it immensely, and so I only hit the wall behind me lightly. Looking up, I saw Katara kneeling next to Aang and Sokka near the edge of the ship.

"Ha! That's from the water tribe!" I ran forward, looking back to see guards coming up from behind me.

"Katara!" I looked over at Sokka to see he had been frozen by Katara's miss fire. Immediately, I turned and whipped water at the guards, freezing them. One guard's hand was little two inches from my face, and I grinned and waved before running up to Appa.

"Hurry up, Sokka!" I called, looking over at him trying to release himself.

"I'm just a guy with a boomerang; I didn't ask for all this _flying_ and _magic_!" He said with frustration, freeing himself and picking up the staff before running up to Appa. "Yip yip! Yip yip!" He yelled, climbing the tail. With a slow lift of his tail, he began ascending. I yelped, jumping away from the edge of the basket and into Sokka's arms.

"G!" He hugged me tightly, one arm around my waist and the other over my shoulders.

"Aang!" the three of us looked up, following Katara's gaze as a massive stream of fire approached us. Aang jumped up and brought up his staff, swinging it and sending a large wave of air at the fire. It changed the course and hit the side of the mountain, and we flew off with the sight of the mountain crumbling onto their ship.

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There is the next chapter! I told you it was pretty much already written. :) We got a glimpse of Zuko! Anyway, I'll be adding more to the show scripture from now on. ^.^ It'll be more detailed, much like the beginning of the chapter 2.

My birthday is tomorrow, so I don't know if I'll be posting for the next couple of days, but I will be adding bits at the least. :) Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it.

Please, please, please review. I'll start asking now. Reviews help me figure out what you guys want out of the story itself. More detail, less cartoon fallowing...you know...either way, let me know how I'm doing!

SYANU :)


	4. Chapter 4

Looks like I did get around to writing this chapter! Enjoy!

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I yawned, stretching as I looked up at the sky.

We had stopped to rest for the night, all of us having been exhausted by yesterday's encounter. Sokka hadn't let me go for the entire ride, which was a bit annoying, but I knew he needed it. During the ride, Katara and Sokka told me about their decision about rescuing and joining the avatar. Katara and I celebrated in the idea of going up North. I was thrilled to be going home, and it was better now that I could go with the two people who meant the world to me. My family…

I was on my back next to the water, enjoying my close proximity with my element as well as the heat of the morning sun. I felt entirely relaxed, and even Katara and Aang's talking didn't bother me. Sokka snore from his spot a few feet away from me, and I smiled. An hour, I could guess. That's how long we were on that ship. I had already begun to miss him and Katara.

I thought about the prince, for a moment, committing his appearance to memory. I had only seen drawings of fire nation soldiers, but none of them were modern. Their attire and armor had changed. The trademark ponytail, though, was still the same. He had had a very curious, painful looking scar over his left eye, extending over his ear. I wondered if he had any complications due to the burn. I winced as I thought about how painful it must have been to receive such a burn. Then I realized…he probably deserved it. Shrugging to myself, I let out a smooth sigh.

"Wake up, Sokka! Air temple, here we come!" I looked over at the sound of Aang's excited voice. He was leaning over Sokka, who groaned in response, and once again I felt the corners of my mouth lifting up into a smile.

"Sleep now, temple later…" He said, turning onto his side and immediately falling back asleep. I wondered how it was he could just fall back asleep in an instant. I, myself, had trouble sleeping last night, and decided to stay up on watch instead. It was no different when I was back in the Southern Tribe. _Once an Insomniac, always an insomniac, no matter how tired you are from a dangerous, life-threatening trip. _

I watched Aang get an annoyed expression on his face, before it lit up into an evil smile. He bent over, picking up a stick, and I raised an eyebrow, sitting up straight. _Oh, this'll be good._

"Sokka! Wake up!" He used the thin end of the stick and began moving it all over the bag. "There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!" Sokka's eyes burst open as he felt the movement, before he let out a yell. He hoped up, hopping around our camp.

"Ahh! Get it off! Get it off! Ahh!" He fell to the ground, an annoyed expression on his face as he heard Katara and I giggling at him.

"Great, you're awake! Let's go!" Aang threw the stick over his shoulder, air bending his way onto Appa to help Katara finish her preparations. I stood, bringing my arms above my head and arching my back in a stretch, standing on my toes for some reason unknown to myself. I came down from the wonderful feeling of my muscles loosening and looked over at the camp. The wood from our fire was still smoking and a dangerous red, so I quickly took a moment to bend some water onto the wood, the red fading away immediately. I smiled, satisfied, as I began to walk past Sokka. He grabbed my wrist.

"Hey…" I sighed, rolling my eyes yet smiling.

"No, Sokka." I said, turning. "You cann_ot_ hold me for the ride."

"No," He said, looking at the ground. "It's not that…It's….I….thought I'd never…I," He sighed and I frowned. _He thought they would kill me…_ I brought ah and up to rest on his cheek.

"Hey, look at me." His sad blue eyes looked into mine, and I gave him a smile. "You know I wouldn't let that happen. I've got too much to live for, I wouldn't go down without a fight. Besides," I giggled. "Fire always loses to water, right?" He smiled.

"Yeah."

"Hey, either get a room or get on the bison!" Katara yelled, and my jaw dropped as Sokka smirked. _Of all people….she can't think…_

"Ok, we'll go look for an inn nearby!" If looks could kill, Sokka would be dead. Despite the fact that he knew that, he still smirked at me.

"I. Am going. To kill you." My words came through clenched teeth, but he just laughed, throwing his bag over his shoulder. Next thing I knew, he had swept me off my feet and was holding me in his arms as he climbed the tail of the bison and sat in the basket beside Katara.

"Oh, and I will hold on to you the whole ride!" Sokka declared, holding me tightly in his embrace.

"Argh!"

* * *

"Oh my Tui!" My screech had caused all three of the others to jump and look at me strangely. Aang and Katara were sitting on Appa's head, Aang holding the rope. They had previously been talking about….whatever. I couldn't hear them from my seat next to Sokka. Sokka was digging through his own bag, looking for something frantically.

"Uhh, G, you ok?"

"I left my bag on the ship! All of my mothers' things…" I trailed off, putting my head in my hands. _Everything_ that mattered to me was in that bag…Sokka placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, it'll be okay. You'll get it back."

"How?" I asked softly, lifting my head and looking into his with a clear look of distress.

"Sokka is right. I have a feeling that wasn't the last time we'll see them." Katara voiced, looking over at me with sympathy. I sighed, laying back and resting my head on my arms. _Great…..he probably burned everything by now…_ My thoughts were interrupted by a loud grumbling to my left. I looked over with a raised eyebrow at Sokka's annoyed expression.

"Hey, stomach, be quiet, all right? I'm trying to find us some food." Despite my foul mood, I giggled. He began searching through a bag he held in his hands and dumped its contents onto his hand….revealing several crumbs. Alarmed, he looked up. "Hey! Who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?"

"Oh, that was _food_?" Came Aang's hesitant voice. "I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry."

"You _what?_" I grinned at his defeated expression. "Awh, no wonder the flames smelled so good."

"The Batola mountain range! We're almost there!" I sat up now at Aang's exclamation. The four of us looked over at the mountains, and I gasped. The sight was amazing.

"Wow…Sokka…Look at this…" I said, my voice soft with my amazement.

"Yeah…I know…" Came his soft reply.

"You don't understand, Katara!" Aang exclaimed happily. I looked over at the two. "The only way to get to an air bender temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the fire nation has any flying bison. Right, Appa?" I looked back over at the land we were passing over, a frown on my lips. How _could_ the fire nation get up here? "Yip yip!" We began ascending rapidly, and I instinctively grabbed onto the side of the basket tightly. After a moment, I grinned at the wind rushing by me. We were passing a large mountain, and I felt a wave of thrill run through me as we passed over the top.

"There is it…" I gaped at the beautiful sight before me. A large temple stood proud in the clouds, with many maze like structures piercing the air. "The Southern Air Temple."

"Aang, it's amazing!" I yelled, my smile wide.

We flew down to the bottom of the tower, where we climbed off of Appa and began our climb up the steep slopes leading to the temple. Aang rushed ahead of us in excitement, while the three of us stumbled behind. As I said; they were steep.

"So where do I get something to eat?" I looked over my shoulder at Sokka's _hilarious_ face and his arms encircling his own stomach.

"You're lucky enough to be one of the first outsiders to _ever_ visit and air bender temple, and all you can think about is food?" Katara asked, a bit cross.

"I'm just a simple guy with simple needs."

"Simple guy, simple needs, simple mind…" Katara giggled while Sokka growled.

"Shut it, G!"

"Hey, come on!" Aang's yell stole our attention again, and we ran to catch up with him.

The temple was so beautiful from far away, being up close was no disappointment. The walls were cracked and covered in vines and snow, and it was beautiful. A pang of sadness went through my heart as I noticed how untouched the snow the snow was. Aang suddenly looked back at us, gesturing over at some kind of….field? raised bamboo farm? I squinted.

"So that's where my friends and I would play airball!" He looked over to another area. "And…over there would be where the bison would sleep…and.." He sighed dejectedly.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked, passing me to stand beside him. _His whole race is dead. Oh, but what's wrong?_ I thought sarcastically. Then rolled my eyes at the harshness of my own thoughts. _Thank you, filter…_

"This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds…I can't believe how much things have changed…" Katara and I exchanged a glance before both turning to Sokka. We nodded to each other, and both of us walked up to Aang.

"So, uh, this airball game? How do you play?"

Within an hour, Aang was beating the hell out of Sokka at airball. I sighed, bending another bit of snow, melting it, freezing it, melting it again, adding more snow.

Okay, I was _really_ bored.

That is, until Sokka landed several inches to my left.

"Hahaha! Aang seven, Sokka zero!" Sokka pushed himself up, obvious pain on his face.

"Making him feel better is putting me in a world of hurt." I let out a bark of laughter. However, when I opened my eyes, expecting a glare, I found Sokka crawling towards something. I stood up and turned around, gasping. _Oh no…_

"Fire nation." Katara said darkly.

"We should tell him." Sokka said softly.

"Aang, there's something you need to see!" I called, turning to see him.

"Okay!" I watched as he spun the ball and tosses it in the air as he approached. He looked over at us, and I heard a large rustling sound behind me. He stopped next to me.

"What is it?"

"Uh…" Her eyes flashed to the left as she thought of an excuse. I bit my lip. _Just tell him…_ "Just a new water bending move I learned."

"Nice one. But Enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see!" Aang began walking away again. With a withering glance at Katara, I set off after Aang.

"You know, you can't…" I couldn't make out the rest of Sokka's words. I didn't want to. Maybe it was better that Aang didn't know.

Of course not. He'll go insane when he finds out…

I followed Aang into a new part of the temple, looking over the side as we walked.

"So…G?" I looked at him, smiling.

"Hmm?"

"Is that really your name?" I laughed lightly.

"No, Aang. I don't know my real name." He looked at me with a shocked expression.

"How don't you know? Did your parents never name you?" I smiled brightly. He looked a little shocked that I could be so happy in such a situation.

"I'm sure they did, but Gran Gran said she was never told my name. I've never met anyone from the Northern Tribe, let alone anyone who knew my mother. Gran Gran was a friend, and she said she has theories of names my parents would pick, but she could not be sure. Sokka gave me my nickname the moment he could talk." I reminisced. The bright smile on my face was dreamy, as if I was seeing it again. I couldn't, anyway. I t was so long ago.

"G? That's not a very creative nickname." Once again I laughed.

"He calls me G, but the nickname he gave me is…Ghost." I said lightly, glancing at Aang. He raised an eyebrow. "As a baby, I was always…well, disappearing, and getting into trouble. I never quite gained the skin tone of the water tribe, anyway, as you can see. This is considered pale, though I see I'm slightly tanner than you." I said jokingly. "Years in the sun, I suppose. As opposed to ice." He smiled at me.

"So…you never met your parents?" My smile dropped.

"No…" He stared at me for a moment, before looking forward. His face brightened.

"Hey guys!" He ran forward, and I moved to catch up with him. Sokka and Katara met up several seconds later. "I want you to meet somebody." He said, looking up at a statue.

"Who's that?" I asked curiously, examining the features of the monk. He looked very wise, yet very….light. The sight of him made me feel warm and happy, calm and safe.

"Monk Gyatso, the greatest air bender in the world. He taught me everything I know." He bowed to the statue. I smiled and did the same.

"He seems very wise. I wish I could meet him." I said, straightening myself.

"I wish you could too….you would have loved him…" Katara stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You must miss him." She said softly.

"Yeah…" Aang moved forward toward the temple, looking up at the large entrance.

"Where are you going?" She asked curiously. I resisted the urge to slap my own forehead in exasperation. Where _else_ would he be going?

"The Air Temple Sanctuary. There's someone I'm ready to meet." I took one last look at the statue before stepping up to follow Aang. We stepped up to a large wooden door. Two air horns met at the bottom, wounding around in a maze and leading to three air symbols.

"But…Aang…no one could have survived in there for a hundred years."

"It's not impossible….Aang survived in the iceberg for that long." I added, gaining a glare from Katara.

"Good point." Sokka exclaimed, sarcastic optimism in his voice.

"Katara, whoever's in there might help me figure out this avatar thing!"

"And whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious, cured meats!"

"Keep dreaming, Sokka." I mumbled, rolling my eyes. Sokka rushed passed me, meeting the door with wild enthusiasm and pushing on it with what must have been all of his strength, the little amount it was. He began groaning as he pushed against the door before sliding down to the floor in defeat and exhaustion.

"I don't suppose you…have a key?" He asked hopefully. I smirked.

"The key, Sokka, is air bending!" Aang stepped back, drawing in a steady breath. He raised both arms slowly, before pushing forward and stepping out. Two jets of air pushed forth into the air horns. The three air symbols turned out to be on wood, which turned as the air passed through them. The doors opened slowly, revealing a dark room. Aang stepped forward.

"Hello? Anyone home?" His voice echoed emptily. Aang walked forward, followed closely by me. In the room….were statues.

Hundreds….no, thousands….

"Wow…"

"Statues? That's it? Where's the _meat_?" I turned to glare at Sokka.

"Shut up!"

"I need food!" I rolled my eyes, walking up to one of the statues on the outer ring as Katara and Aang walked deeper in. I looked up into the eyes of an avatar statue, observing his features. He was an earth bender, and he looked young. His eyes, stoney, seemed to shine at me, and I found myself strangely mesmerized.

"Aang, snap out of it!" I shook my head, looking up at the statue with confusion. I made my way over to the group, looking at all the statues as I passed. I felt some kind of similar connection with each….strange.

"G! Hide!" I looked over to Sokka and the group as they dove behind statues. Instinctively, I followed suite, feeling Sokka's arm wrap protectively around my waist.

"What?" I hissed into his ear, trying to peak around the statue. He held me still.

"Fire bender! Nobody make a sound!" He whispered.

"You're making a sound!"

"Shh!" I turned a frustrated look at Katara at her outburst. Sokka suddenly let me go, reaching behind him to get his weapon.

"That fire bender won't know what hit him!" I looked at him with skepticism.

"Sokka, wait…" Sokka jumped out from behind the statue, freezing. The three of us looked around the statue, and after a moment, I burst out with laughter.

"A-"

"Lemur!" Aang jumped out from behind the statue.

"Dinner…" Sokka quiet voice barely reached my ears, and I smirked. Leave it to Sokka to be thinking about food.

"Don't listen to him! You're going to be my new pet." Aang declared.

"Not if I get him first!" Both boys lunged forward, a mixture of shouts, pulling, pushing and clatters. The pure lemur dashed away with fright, and I sighed.

"Those two are insane." I said, shaking my head. Katara and I exchanged a glance before breaking out into laughter.

"I have to admit, leaving home was frightening at first. But, this is so much fun." Katara commented, turning around to look at the statues.

"Yeah…it's an important thing to have…on his journey." I said, looking up at the walls harboring many more statues. I missed Katara's glance in my direction.

"You know, Sokka nearly died when you left." She said, her voice shaking lightly in a laugh, but it was serious all at the same time.

"I'm sorry?" I looked back as Katara reached up to one of the statues.

"He was so worried. I've never seen my brother so….disturbed. Well…maybe when mother…" She broke off.

"I won't be around forever…" I mumbled, looking up as well. This one was another air bender. His stony gaze seemed to pierce right through me.

That's when his eyes suddenly lit up. Katara and I met each other's gaze in panic.

"Aang!" I took off, Katara not far behind me.

"There's a lot of wind over there! Let's go!" We took off in the direction, trying to find the best route. It took us nearly five minutes to reach the building, but that may have been due to the wind we had to fight. Sokka wasn't far off, and we fought to get to him.

"What happened?" Katara yelled to him, her voice becoming swallowed in the wind.

"He found out fire benders killed Gyatso." He yelled.

"Oh no, it's his avatar spirit! He must have triggered it! I'm gonna try and calm him down!" and with that, Katara began fighting through the wind.

"Well, do it before he blows us off the mountain!" Sokka yelled. I made my way over to Sokka, grasping hold of the rubble tightly. The winds became a bit stronger, and Sokka groaned. "Katara!" He yelled, his grip slipping. I saw the air strengthen around Aang before it came out in a burst. Instinctively, I let go of the piece of wall, putting my hands up in front of me. The wind stopped, and Sokka gasped from beside me. "How are you doing that?" My jaw dropped.

I…could…

The air was streaming around some sort of…shield I had created….

"There must be…water…somehow…"

"G, you're…air bending…" Sokka said with wonder.

"Aang, I know you're upset, and I know how hard it is to lose the people you love. I went through the same thing when I lost my mom. Monk Gyatso and the other air benders may be gone, but you still have a family. Sokka, Ghost and I…we're your family now." Sokka and I watched as Aang began to lower himself to the ground. The wind died away, and Sokka and I began to walk forward.

"We won't let anything happen to you." Sokka said gently.

"Promise." I added, nodding. Aang stopped his glowing, collapsing into Katara's arms.

"I'm sorry…" His voice was gruff and tired. _If he thinks **he's** tired…He should try not being blown off a mountain…_

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault." Katara replied softly.

"But you were right. And if fire benders found this temple, that means they found the other ones, too. I really am the last air bender…"

"Maybe not!" Katara and Aang looked at him in surprise and confusion. I glared. "Aang, Katara, I think Ghost just…"

"I didn't. There is no way I could."

"Just what?" Aang asked, forcing himself into a sitting position.

"I blocked your air blasts….but, I don't know how…." Aang's face brightened.

"You can air bend! But…I thought…you were a water bender?" I sighed.

"I am.." Great…more to be confused about…

"Well…let's not worry about that now…To the flying bison!" Sokka yelled, throwing his fist into the air. Katara and I exchanged a glance.

"Well, you're going to have to carry me down, because suddenly…I feel faint." I said, mocking a fainting motion as Katara and Aang laughed. Sokka sighed, a groan escaping is lips.

"Of course. Always need to complicate things, G…" We only laughed harder.

* * *

Well there we go! Hope you enjoyed this update. Please review! :)

SYANU!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys :) 'nother update. Hope you enjoy this new chapter. Please review!

* * *

"Hey Katara, Ghost! Check out this air bending trick!" I looked over from my seat next to Sokka, who was currently pantless as well as trying to make a move on me. Aang made a marble whirl around in mid air. Katara, who was sewing his pants, didn't even look up.

"That's great, Aang." She said blankly, not pausing once in her sewing. I didn't miss the hurt expression on Aang's face as he stopped.

"You didn't even look." She stopped her sewing, glancing at him before returning to work.

"That's great!"

"But I'm not doing it now…" Sokka leaned back then, putting his arms behind his head as he lounged. I raised an eyebrow in silent warning as I saw his mouth open.

"Stop bugging her, airhead. You need to give girls space when they do their sewing." My jaw dropped and Katara stopped sewing, her expression portraying her annoyance and anger. I crossed my arms, glaring at him. How _dare_ he even suggest….

"What does me being a girl have to do with sewing?"

"Yeah, Sokka? Care explaining?" My voice held as much annoyance as Katara's did, but Sokka didn't pick up on it at all. Idiot.

"Simple: Girls are better at fixing pants than guys, cooking and cleaning and stuff, and guys are better at hunting and fighting and stuff like that. It's just the natural order of things." Katara and I exchanged glances, before she smiled falsely at Sokka.

"All done with your pants! And look what a great job I did!" She threw the pants at him and they landed on his head.

"You know, I collected berries this morning for lunch but…you know, since _I_ caught them, they aren't quality. I guess I should just throw them out…" I said, reaching for my bag.

"Wait!" He grabbed my arm, pulling the pants off his head with his free hand. "I was just kidding! Katara! I can't wear these!" He said, drawing his hand from me and sticking it through the hole. "Katara, please!"

"Don't worry Sokka. Where we're going, you won't need any pants!" Aang enthusiastically pulled on the reigns and Appa swooped downward. We quickly approached an island, crescent in shape. We descended until we were on the beach, Appa landed with a slight grumble, and we all slid off. I looked around the area with which we stood, and looked up into the distance, gasping.

"Look at those mountains…" Sokka came up next to me, squinting at the view.

"They're covered in snow. You've been around snow your entire life. What's so great about it?" I glared at Sokka, punching him in the stomach and turning away as he doubled over, coughing.

"We just made a pit stop yesterday. Shouldn't we get a little more flying done before we camp out?" I heard Katara ask, carefully dancing around sounding…aggressive.

"She's right. At this rate, we won't get to the North Pole until spring!" Sokka commented.

"But Appa's tired already, aren't ya boy?" No response from the giant bison. I smirked. "I _said_, aren't you boy?" Aang nudged Appa, who forced a yawn. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah. _Real_ convincing." I said, crossing my arms as Aang turned to me with a cheeky smile and a blush.

"Still, hard to argue with a ten ton magical monster." Sokka added. Suddenly, a fish broke surface….a rather big fish…Aang gasped.

"Look!" It revealed itself to be….a giant Koi fish! I ran up to the water's edge, staring in excitement at the orange and white mammals. They were magnificent!

"I've…never seen one…"

"That's why we're here!" Aang announced, hopping to my side as he stripped to his underwear. "Elephant Koi! And I'm going to ride it. Katara, you've gotta watch me!" He jumped into the water, leaping up and exclaiming a surprised "Cold!" Before running….swimming…flying? He went toward the Koi. I took a few steps into the water, letting it reach up to my shins. I watched the Koi come up and down, water falling from the scales and reflecting the light. I was mystified, to say the least. They were so…beautiful.

My mother had left me many paintings of the wonders of the world, those she would have never seen were it not for her husband. She left me with the hope that I would learn of its wonders…and I was finally seeing…

I suddenly let out a loud laugh. The sound was soft and breathy, but I usually didn't laugh so loud.

"Yeah Aang!" I yelled, seeing him riding one of the Koi. I heard Katara cheering behind me as he turned and waved. I stepped forward even more. I was now up to my waist in the water. I could hear the rushing element all around me, pushing against me. The sun glistened off the ripples, but it wasn't blinding. I watched the shadows move under the water, and a bigger one seemed to emerge._ A bigger Koi?_ I watched it move until it disappeared for a moment. That's when I came back to my senses.

"Ghost!" An arm wrapped around my waist and began pulling me backwards as I saw Aang fly into the air, but not of his own accord. He landed into the bay, and was followed by the largest…most magnificent creature…I gaped. "Ghost, come on!" It was Sokka's voice in my ear as he fought to bring me on shore. I finally turned to him and he helped me get back quickly, letting out a breath of relief as we hit the sandy beach.

"Aang!" Sokka turned around, only to be crashed into by the air bender himself. I looked out over the water, watching the dark fin retreat back into the water, upset that it had lost its kill, presumably. I didn't notice when I had fallen onto my knees, but I pushed myself up, trying to ignore the grainy feeling of sand on my shin and hands. I walked back to the water, stopping just as it reached up to touch my skin. I looked out, searching curiously. That was, until I heard an exclamation of surprise behind me. I turned around just in time to see a warrior heading towards me. Unsheathing my dagger quickly, I spun and met her kick with my arm. A look of surprised passed over her features before she growled and replaced it with a look of determination. She took out a fan and I hardly had the time to gape in my wonder. We were locked in battle.

"Ha!" She threw a fan at me, grazing my cheek. I smirked, returning the gesture by throwing my boomerang. She dodged, and I frowned. Giving me a triumphant smirk, she removed her other fan and began a new fan to dagger battle.

"Suki!" She cried, giving one last hit. I stumbled, my stance broken. Another body behind me grabbed my arms and I growled.

"Let me go!" I writhed, glaring at them as they tied my arms. The woman in front of me smirked, and I smirked back. Hers fell as she became confused, placing the blindfold around my eyes.

That's when the boomerang came back.

A frustrated growl, scrambling, and then darkness.

* * *

"Aang…do some air bending…" The anxious voice of Katara was what hooked my awakening senses. I opened my eyes, staring at the ground, and blinking in confusion. What happened?

A sudden blast of air came from somewhere to my left. There was a lot of commotion when I started the process of lifting my head. Everybody looked surprised, and I followed their gaze as best as I could as Aang floated down to the ground. I went to walk forward, but found myself bound to the pole. Grimacing, I rolled my eyes.

"It's true…you _are_ the avatar!" Aang was silent for a moment in response to the villagers' exclamation.

"Now…check _this _out!" Aang pulled out the marble, performing the trick he had earlier for Katara and I. I rolled my eyes, sighing.

"A bit full of himself, isn't he?" I said to Sokka, over the yells of the crowd.

"Yeah, meanwhile we're still ti-G! You're awake!" If I could move, I would have slapped my hand against my forehead in my trademark sign of exasperation. However, I was tied, so…

"Hey! Can I get cut loose here? There's an idiot to my left!"

* * *

"You are a very skilled fighter. Most women, especially from water tribes, are not fighters at all." I smiled, looking down at the two golden fans in my hands.

"I've trained myself for years in some intermediate fighting skills."

"The boomerang was a nice touch!" I looked up at the woman who had attacked me. Kori, I had learned, was a rather practiced warrior, like Suki. They were the highest members of their group.

"Sokka made the boomerang for me a few years back. He taught me how to properly aim and throw. Amazing, that he is competent at something." I smirked as the two girls laughed, bringing the small pastry up to my lips and taking a small bite. It was so sweet…

"Is it a betrothal gift?" My eyes widened and I accidently inhaled bite pastry. I began coughing, feeling my throat contract. A good hit to the back from Suki set me right again, and I greedily reached for a cup of water, downing its contents.

"No! Not at all! Sokka is just…a really close friend. Our village is small. Katara, Sokka and I are the only teenagers in the village."

"Well, it seems only right you would be his. Are you sure it's no betrothal gift?" I glared playfully. "He was awfully worried about you when we ambushed you all. He heard you fighting, and when you stopped, he began freaking out. Poor guy." I shrugged, returning to my pastry. A few minutes of silence passed as we ate.

"So, you have experience with fans?" Suki asked, looking at me with an amused expression.

"No, unfortunately." I brought up my arm, opening the fan and moving it around. "I think of weapons as an extension of myself. It is the only way to flow your energy through. I pick things up quickly because of this mentality." I said, trying not to sound like I thought too highly of myself.

"Would you like to learn? I have a feeling that our form would not be too difficult for you. Avatar Kiyoshi taught the ways of the earth bender with the flow of a water bender. She fought with the ferocity of a fire bender, but was light as an air bender. Her techniques will come to you quickly." I raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly.

"You feel I am comparable?" Kori nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh, yes! You flow, physically and spiritually, and you have passion in your heart. You were light and quick." I smiled.

"Thank you." I put my right hand into my left palm and bowed. "I would be honored to learn the ways of the noble Kiyoshi Warriors. When can we begin?" Suki smirked.

"Right now!"

* * *

"Good. Again!" Suki stood in front of the room, two rows of women behind her. I was beside her, mirroring her movements every second demonstration. Kori stood behind my directly, making sure I completed the sets accurately. "You are doing incredibly well." Suki commented, side glancing at me. We spun in unison, opening our fans together and bringing them up, over our heads in a closing motion as we rebuilt our stance. I grinned.

"The fans are light and flow well. I may have to find a pair of my own."

"Those fans belong to you know. Consider yourself an official, eternal Warrior of Kiyoshi." She whispered, smiling to me. I felt joy simply rise within me as he started the next set…

And then the idiot came in.

"Sorry, ladies! Didn't mean to interrupt your dance lesson." Sokka began stretching his arms and bending to stretch his waist. "I was just looking for somewhere to get a little workout?"

"Well, you're in the right place." Suki replied. All of the warriors relaxed fully now, some laughing at Sokka, some rolling their eyes. "Sorry about yesterday. I didn't know that you were friends with the avatar." Sokka's reply was dismissive.

"It's all right. I mean, normally I'd hold a grudge, but seeing as you guys are a bunch of girls-" Suki and I exchanged glances, mine furious. "-I'll make an exception.

"I should hope so." She replied sarcastically. I crossed my arms. "A big strong man like you? We wouldn't stand a chance."

"True. But don't feel bad. After all, I'm the best warrior in my village." Suki looked up at me, and I gave her a 'Yeah, no.' sort of look. She understood, of course, much to my pleasure. She leaned toward Sokka, smiling as if interested.

"Wow! Best warrior, huh? In your whole village? Maybe you'd be kind enough to give us a little demonstration." Sokka suddenly looked a bit timid.

"Oh, well, I mean…I…" Suki turned toward her warriors, smiling.

"Come on, girls! Wouldn't you like him to show us some moves?" The girls all giggled and nodded, some smirking. Sokka stood straight and walked up to Suki, confidence on his face.

"Well, if that's what you want, I'd be happy to. All right, you stand over there." He positioned Suki with a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't actually move. I rolled my eyes. "This may be a little tough," he said, getting into a very sloppy stance. "But _try_ to block me."

Sokka threw a rather poor punch, which Suki promptly blocked by a fan to the shoulder. Sokka made a face and rubbed his shoulder.

"Heh, good. Of course, I was going easy on you."

"Of course." Came her sarcastic reply. A few sniggers followed her comment from the girls.

"Let's see if you can handle _this!_" Sokka lunged at Suki, who grabbed his arm and proceeded to spin him circles. On the last cycle, she let him go, catching his leg as he stumbled and tying it to his left wrist and belt. He hopped for a moment before falling. All the girls laughed, and as he and I locked gazes, I smirked down at him. Suki walked over to me, crossing her arms and staring at him with an amused expression.

"Anything _else_ you want to teach us?" Sokka blushed deeply as the girls laughed harder. I unsheathed my dagger, quickly cutting the tie. He picked himself up, not meeting anyone's gaze. Mumbling something unintelligible, he quickly left.

"Is he _always_ like that?" Kori asked, crossing her arms.

"Unfortunately. He is full of himself, hates to admit anyone is better than him, is overrun by hormones. Poor teenage boy." I said, shaking my head. We all shared a small smile.

"Okay, next set!" Suki said, causing everyone to get back into position. We ran seven more sets that day, and I couldn't feel more please. I was excited to keep learning…but…

"Uh…hey, Suki." We all stopped, looking at Sokka expectantly.

"Hoping for another dance lesson?" Suki asked mockingly.

"No…I…well, let me explain."

"Spit it out! What do you want?" Suki was obviously losing patience. Sokka suddenly lowered to a kneeling position.

"I would be honored if you would teach me." My jaw dropped. So, Sokka _could_ recognize higher skill.

I was proud of him.

"Even if I'm a _girl_?"

"I'm sorry if I insulted you earlier. I was wrong." _Understatement…_I thought, though I could tell by his voice he was entirely sincere. A side of Sokka I rarely see…

"We normally don't teach outsiders, let alone boys."

"Please make an exception. I won't let you down." Suki seemed to think it over before looking over at me. I quickly nodded, a small smirk on my lips. He was ready to learn.

"All right. But you have to follow all of our traditions."

"Of course!" He responded quickly. Suki smirked.

"And I mean _all_ of them."

An hour later and Sokka and Suki returned. The warriors had been dismissed, but Suki had asked me to stay. Something about me wanting to see it. I had asked her what she meant, but she just winked and led Sokka into another room. So, here I sat, on the floor of the Dojo. Kori had kept me company for the first twenty minutes, talking about my past. I expressed to her that our village warriors were solely men, and usually women did not water bend, but heal. I showed her some bending, and she explained all about the warriors. She had wrapped my bangs in the wonderful red silk that expressed the warriors, telling me that if I were to be a Kiyoshi Warrior, I needed _something_ to express that, other than fans. I eagerly agreed.

The sun was shining beautifully, and there was a lovely tree outside that had received the majority of my attention. When they returned from the next room, Suki was leading a blushing Sokka out into the room.

"Ghost," She called, and I immediately started laughing. Not only was Sokka in a green dress, but he was covered with the exact same makeup as the girls. He blushed deeper.

"Sokka, you make such a pretty girl." I said, and Suki smirked.

"Do I really have to wear this? It feels a little…girly." He said, his shoulder slumping.

"It's a warrior's uniform. You should be proud. The silk threads symbolize the brave blood that flows through our veins. The gold insignia represents the honor of the warrior's heart." Sokka suddenly straightened and stood proud.

"Bravery and honor…" I smiled, looking out just as Aang walked by me.

"Hey Ghost, hey Sokka, nice dress!" I looked back at Sokka, smirking as he deflated.

"It is time to begin."

"Suki, I will leave you to it then. I have yet to see this village." I said, standing and bowing to her. She returned the gesture.

"Of course. Please, enjoy your day. I expect to see you tomorrow for training?" I nodded, sending her another eager smile. I quickly turned and walked off, looking around the village. It was full of life and happiness, and I smiled. I began walking down the marketplace, taking n the sight of all the fresh food available.

"Excuse me, Ms. Ghost?" I turned to an old woman running one of the stands, full of beautiful flowers.

"Yes?"

"Would you come inside?" She gestured at the house behind her. I felt a slight bit of hesitation before I nodded and followed her inside. She led me down a small hallway and into a kitchen, gesturing toward a chair at the table. I sat quickly, watching as she poured two cups of tea. "I'm sorry, you must be very confused. My name is Aru."I smiled.

"I would say it's good to meet you, but I must wonder if we already have? How do you know my name?"

"I am Kori's grandmother. She told me about you travelers, with the avatar." She offered me a cup of tea, which I hesitantly took. Sitting across from me, she looked up with a content expression. "The avatar…could you imagine…missing for a hundred years….Everyone had lost hope. Suddenly, out of nowhere, here he is." She looked down into her cup of tea sadly. "The warriors have been training to protect, and to fight. They were preparing to fight in the war. My own granddaughter…Perhaps, now, the avatar will convince them to stay home." I looked down into the brown liquid in my cup, choosing my next words carefully.

"Avatar or no, I can tell you they will still fight…somehow." She flinched at the thought, her shoulders sagging. "You should be proud, though. Your granddaughter is a brave, skillful warrior. I had the pleasure of fighting her myself, during their ambush." I offered a small laugh. "She has the true heart of a warrior…they all do….and it will take such passion to win this war. Without warriors like Kori, we would have nothing. The fight is in her heart, it is what she believes in." The woman looked up at me, a small, sad but kind smile on her lips.

"You are right, but it is my love and devotion that keeps me worried." She stood suddenly, walking over to a window and looking out. "When Kori was very young, the fire nation came to our village. They killed my daughter and her husband while they protected Kori. They almost got to her, but I had saved her." She put a hand on the wall, and I realized what she meant.

"You are an earth bender. I wasn't aware there were any here." She smiled and closed her eyes.

"I am far too old to earth bend…" She said, pulling a flower out of the vase on her window sill. I was silent for a moment.

"I am a water bender, of the Northern Tribe. Only…I grew up in the Southern Tribe with Sokka and Katara. My parents are dead because of the fire nation as well. I have no keepsakes of my parents either….they are currently on a fire nation ship…" The woman frowned, turning back to me.

"It is a shame to grow up without the love and protection of one's own mother and father. I can tell you are a very strong, intelligent young woman." She came up beside me, and I stood to welcome her hug. She drew me in close, like Gran Gran used to when I was a child. "You will no doubt have troubling times ahead of you, whether you stay with the avatar or not. You have yet to find your destiny, and it may not be the most ideal path at the time." She released me, holding me at arm's length with a hand on my shoulder. "But, no matter what happens, you must always remember who you are. You must always remember your choices are yours, and you are no subject to a written fate. You have great power, and you will be very important to those who cherish you. Do not waste their loyalty." Her kind voice held finality, and a small smile made its way to my lips. She reached forward, flower in hand. It was a white carnation, fully in bloom. With very skilled hands, she weaved my hair into a braid and secured the flower.

"I will remember. Thank you." I said, bowing. She nodded once before walking passed me and back out to her flower stand. I stood in my spot, looking at the door she left through. The wisdom of an elder was not hard to come by, but the wisdom of a mother…

Gran Gran had always tried to help me. She had always been there for me. Unfortunately, she could not capture the essence of a grandmother for me, let alone a mother. Knowing me for two seconds, this woman…

I reached up with my left hand, feeling the braid with careful fingers and feeling the soft petals of the carnation. I felt something run down my cheek, and brought my hand down to wipe it away. With shock, I pulled my hand away and examined the moisture. Tears. When had I started crying? I hastily brought my hands up and wiped at the rest of the tears. I took out my dagger, turning it in the light so I could see my reflection. My eyes looked slightly bloodshot, but no other signs of tears remained. Nodding at my reflection, I sheathed my dagger and walked out of the house. The old woman was nowhere to be found, and I looked up at the sky.

"How long were we talking?" I muttered, observing the setting sun. It would be dusk very soon. No one seemed to be outside, and I began searching the streets. I took several turns, but it was…silent. A gentle breeze blew and I stopped, smiling lightly. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of trees, flowers, and…..smoke?

"Ghost!" A panicked whisper caused me to turn quickly. Kori stood behind me, putting a finger to her lips and gesturing for me to follow. Quickly, I moved to a silent run as we ran back the way I came, taking several turns back the way I came before she crouched behind a fence, pulling me down with her. I heard footsteps passing by, and I peeked up past the fence and over the bushes in front as a man on a rhino walked by. "The others will get that one; we need to get the leader!" I recognized the attire as that of the fire nation, and quickly nodded to Kori.

"Let's go!" We ran out from our hiding spot silently, cutting through yards and hiding behind houses when needed. The sound of fighting suddenly appeared, and Kori and I exchanged a glance before running out in the open. Fans out, we both turned in unison and shot one at two approaching soldiers. They fell off their rhinos and we quickly ran passed, retrieving the golden weapons.

"There!"

"Wait Kori!" I grabbed her arm, pulling her back as Aang landed a few feet away.

"Hey! Over here!" Aang yelled, a determined look on his face.

"Finally!" I gasped, looking at the speaker. _That voice…The prince!_

"He just didn't learn." I muttered, Kori giving me a look. "We had a…run in with him befor-look out!" I ran in front of Kori and used my fan to block the incoming ball of fire. "We need to help. Come on! The other soldiers!"

"Ghost!" I looked over at Aang, who had just knocked the prince into a building. Katara was beside him. "We need to leave!" I froze, looking at Kori.

"It's okay, we'll be fine. Go!" I nodded, giving her a determined look before nodding and running to Katara and Aang. Together, we ran behind one of the houses. Sokka and Suki were already there, along with Appa.

"I am a warrior." My jaw dropped and I froze as Suki leaned in and kissed Sokka. "But I'm a girl, too." She looked from him to me, nodded, and stood. "Now get out of here. We'll hold them off." The four of us climbed Appa, Momo resting on Aang's shoulder. Aang moved the reigns.

"Appa, yip yip!" With a grumble, he took off, and we breathed a sigh of relief. Slowly, we all looked over the edge at the village….burning.

"I know it's hard…" I looked over at Katara, leaning toward Aang. "But you did the right thing. Zuko would have destroyed the whole place if we had stayed. They're going to be okay, Aang." I looked down. One building collapsed under the fire. I stood up.

"G! What are you doing?" I ignored Sokka and locked eyes with Aang.

"Keep going. Do not stop. I will be okay." Without another word, I jumped over the side.

"Ghost! No!" Sokka's yell was frantic, but I ignored it.

"Sokka, stop!" I looked over my shoulder as Sokka was held back by Aang and Katara. I closed my eyes, taking in a calming breath.

"Bending, don't fail me." I moved my hands, eyes tightly closed, and felt the water in the air begin to surround me. I felt myself near the earth and began to focus more, drowning out the sound of Sokka's yelling. I felt a pull as my fall began to slow, and a grin spread on my face as I opened my eyes. Water visibly surrounded my body and I smiled.

My heart stopped hammering against my ribcage and I reached the shore, bending the water out of my clothes. I looked around. The fire benders were approaching, probably to board their ship. I grinned. _I can help the villagers **and** slow them down! _I took a breath, turning halfway toward the water. I controlled my breathing, closing my eyes. My arms moved fluidly, pushing and pulling…pushing and pulling.

"It's the water bender!" Pushing and pulling…down, up, out, in, there!

I caught the energy, moving myself in a low spin. My eyes opened and gazed over the fire benders. They were all watching me with an air of wonder. I surrounded myself with a large circle of water, reaching for above my head. I raised my arms, separating the water, sweat pouring down my forehead. I had never handled so much water at one time before. The water began to spin and I spun myself opening my palms and pushing up and out. The large masses of water moved out over the village and turned rapidly, breaking off and dripping over the fires. I brought my arms up again, palm up, sucking in a deep breath. I turned my palms downward, separating my fingers, and forcefully pushed my arms down. The water fell onto the fire in water spikes likes rain, falling for a good half a minute, mercilessly upon the flames. Everyone shielded themselves from the sting of the water, but it wouldn't hurt them. I wasn't strong enough for that.

The fires were put out and I dropped my arms to my side, standing up straight. My breathing was heavy and I felt tired, but my expression was determined. The prince, leading the group, locked eyes with me, before everything became blurry, and I could no longer hear. I felt myself falling as my sight bled black.

* * *

There you go. Don't forget to review, please. Any word of advice is appreciated. 3

SYANU


	6. Chapter 6

Yes, it is really short. Sorry! ^.^ There is going to be a looooot of ship action after this chapter, so here is your transition chapter. Also..

Mildly **important:** Please tell me what you think about the switching of POVs between our two main characters, Zuko and Ghost. It will remain in first person no matter what, but I would like to know whether or not the majority of you care about this. Also, any other opinions are more thann welcome.

**Please answer via review, **anonymous or not. I will wait for 3-5 opinions on this matter before updating again. Mostly because, as you can see, I've been updating quickly. Please let me know what you think.

* * *

Sounds of movement reached my ears before any other senses kicked in. I could hear an engine working…feet moving across metal above and near me. I could hear some people talking, with the sound of rushing water as a background. A split second later I could smell salt and moisture….as well as smoke and….something mildly unpleasant. Next I could feel the stiff metal under my body, the cold biting against my skin. There was something scratchy underneath me as well…possibly a towel…or hay. I looked around, but I could see nothing… _Oh my Tui…I'm **blind!**...oh, no….I have to open my eyes first._ I opened my eyes, and turns out, I could see.

The room was dark, but there was light coming in through cracks between the door and wall. I sat up and squinted through the darkness.

I could see the outline of my hand as I placed it on the floor in front of me, hinting to me that since there were no other outlines, there was nothing here. I felt the floor beneath me, confirming that it was, indeed, metal. Under me, barely wide enough and _not_ long enough to separate my body from the harsh material, was a towel. An obviously dirty one, too. I sighed. I attempted to stand up, but felt myself immediately fall back to the ground. My hand caught something as I instinctively reached out, and I heard a loud crash to my left as I hit the ground. Scrambling could be heard outside my door, which was wrenched over a minute later.

I looked over to the door, shielding my eyes with my hand. The guard looked at me with wide eyes.

"…**She's _awake!_**" I groaned at the exclamation and the door slamming shut. My head was pounding as if sending out an echo after the door. Sighing, I gingerly lowered myself, feeling my limbs shaking. _How long have I been out..?_

The door opened again, revealing an older man. Following him, was the prince…

It was the first time I had _really_ seen the prince without a helmet….Though, there wasn't much to note. He only had a ponytail….and I had to admit, it was a stupid hairstyle. Bald…with a ponytail?

The old man had a full head of gray hair as well as a beard. His ponytail was more like a bun of sorts. I supposed it was some kind of representation of the fire nation.

Both men stared at me, and I returned the favor.

"Hello," The old one began. He had a look of kindness and sincerity, and his voice matched it, though it was gravelly and distorted with age. "My name is Iroh. This is my nephew, Zuko. You are currently aboard a fire nation ship. What is your name?" He held his kind tone, now curious. I only glared up at him. After a moment, he smiled. "It is alright. You do not have to tell me if you do not wish to. You are a water bender, correct?" Again, I simply glared. "From the Southern Water Tribe? Your skills are quite excellent for a woman bender. I was under the impression that women only healed."

"Speak!" Ah, finally. The prince explodes. He stepped forward, glaring at me with equal ferocity.

"Prince Zuko. You will get what you give. Have patience." Iroh put a hand on Zuko's shoulder and pushed him back. "Perhaps you should go back up on deck." He gave his uncle a glare before turning with a growl. The door slammed shut behind him. I looked up at the uncle. "He's not very….patient." He sat down on the floor beside my….'bed.' "Now, how about a nice hot meal and a warm cup of tea?" Slowly, my glare melted away. I nodded.

* * *

"This is one of my favorite dishes. Roast duck!" I watched Iroh dish out some duck for himself and take eager bites before I reached forward and did the same.

The guards had come in and set a small table not far from the door. They provided torches as well as small cushions to sit on. On the table was an assortment of several foods. My favorites were the rice balls and duck. It was so different from water tribe food. Kiyoshi had sweet food, and anything beats nuts and berries. I glanced up at him to see him watching me, but not with any particular emotion. Just…watching. I picked up the tea cup.

"It is Ginseng. You came across as a Ginseng Tea lover." He commented. I looked down into the dark liquid, swirling it a bit before drinking it.

Oh…._my_….

I slammed the cup down, my eyes wide.

"This. Is the best tea. I have ever even dreamed of." While Iroh looked shocked at my current outburst, he seemed pleased with not only my statement, but the first sound of my voice. He began laughing wholeheartedly.

"I am glad you like it. It has taken me years to perfect the art of brewing tea. It pleases me that someone so young can appreciate the taste of good tea."

"Appreciate it? I've never had anything so good!" My voice was strained, but the tea made my throat feel better. My usual soft tone was now raspy and broken, and it hurt to speak every now and again. I let out a small cough before drinking more of the tea. I missed the frown that crossed Iroh's features.

"You have been unconscious for three days. That move you performed at Kiyoshi Island was rather impressive, but a bit over your skill level. It is amazing that you achieved it. I saw it from the boat." I looked down at my food. I pushed around a rice ball with a chopstick.

"I was fueled by my will to help my friends." I said darkly.

"I understand that entirely. You see, I watch over my nephew." I frowned. _Yeah, well…whether or not that's the same has yet to be determined…_ "So, will you tell me a little about yourself?" I looked up at him, a little timidly.

"You've imprisoned me." He smiled.

"I didn't, actually. Zuko insisted. However, I could be your personal escort on deck for the rest of the day." I smiled slowly.

"That would be…wonderful. But…aren't you afraid I'll escape? I water bend…" Iroh smiled.

"I trust you."

Iroh proceeded to talk to the guards while I finished eating. It didn't take long, because the moment he left, I devoured everything in sight. By the time he had come back, he was met with the sight of empty serving bowls and the tea pot in my hands….and tipped toward my lips. Iroh broke out into laughter and gestured for me to join him. He led me through several halls. I walked behind him, and the guard walked behind me.

"By the way." He said, looking at me over his shoulder. "You left a few things here on your last visit. I have them on deck for you." I gasped.

"All of it? You have all of it?" He smiled.

"You will check." He replied softly, leading me up stairs and into a near blinding light. I gasped, shielding my eyes. I could feel the wind, moist with the water, hitting my skin and blowing through my hair. I could feel the water moving around the ship. The sun was bright and warmed my skin, and I got a glimpse of the pale skin on my hand.

"Uncle!" I sighed, already tired of the voice of the angry prince. "_What_ is the prisoner doing out of her cell?"

"She is not an animal, nephew. She must have fresh air and sun, just like you." The prince moved his glare to me.

"She's a water bender! She can escape!"

"I won't escape." I said softly. The prince looked surprised for a moment, before his eyes narrowed back into a glare. With a growl, he turned around.

"If she escapes, Uncle, you will be held responsible!" I looked over at Iroh, who simply shook his head.

"Mind my nephew's temper. He gets it from his father." I smiled.

"Most of us get our fiery spirit from our fathers."

"So, will you set down with me and have a cup of tea?" He pointed to a table in front of us...against the left wall. I grinned at the steaming tea pot.

"Yes!"

We sat down, sipping at tea in our cups while Iroh played some sort of game on the table. I watched carefully, moving my gaze from the game to the water every now and again.

"So, I propose a trade." I looked up at him suddenly, caution in my eyes. "I have your items right here, as I've said. But to receive them, you must tell me your name." He said coyly, and I couldn't hold back the smile. Evil, crafty, yet oddly funny and kind.

"I don't know my name." I said softly. To the right of my gaze, the prince froze in his steps and leaned over the railing to look at the water. I figured he was listening. "I never met my parents…and they died before giving my name to my guardians…" It was silent for a moment. Iroh was probably analyzing this info. I stood, walking over to the railing and following the prince's example. "Sokka gave me a nickname though…" I said softly, reaching a hand out over the water. I lightly moved my arm in a flowing up and down motion. Water came up from the ocean and I moved it around in lazy circles.

"Who?"

"The boy that attacked your nephew. Our only warrior in the village." I said, shooting a glare at the prince. He didn't even look at me. "He called me G, but my nickname is ghost." I said, letting go of the water and turning back to Iroh. "Can I have my bag back please? It contains books and jewelry from my mother." Iroh picked up the dark green bag.

"This is an earth kingdom bag. How did you get it?" Iroh asked, genuinely curious as he passed me the bag.

"My father." I said simply, sitting down and riffling through to make sure everything was there. I smiled, relief flooding through me as I found it all safe. I closed the bag and tossed it onto my back, ignoring a strike of slight pain as the corner of a book dug into my spine.

"Do you know how to play Pai Sho?" I heard someone behind me sigh and turned as the prince walked away.

"Pai Sho? What is that?" He grinned, clearing his game from the board and scurrying away for a moment. He returned on deck with a board of some type, opening it and placing it on the table. I looked down, trying hard to understand what it was. The board was square, but it had a circular playing field. It was broken up into squares, diamonds, and triangles. Because of the round field, the edge squares were cut off. In the center was a large diamond that was separated into four quadrants, two red and two white. Iroh placed a bunch of…things in front of me.

"These are tiles." He explained. "This is the board. There are 256 spaces on the board, and we placed our tiles on the intersections. The types of tiles are white flowers, red flowers, nonflowers, and specials." He spread out his tiles neatly to show me. "Each player receives 54: Three White Dragon, three White Lotus, six Jasmine, six White Lilly, six White Jade, six Rose, six Chrysanthemum, six Rhododendron, three Knotweed, three Wheel, three Rock, and three Boat." As he announced each tile, he pointed to one laying out in front of him. I watched with interest. He stacked his tiles again so they were out of the way, moving back to the board. "The triangle near you is called the home port, and mine is the foreign port. The sides are east and west ports. Now, to the game." He picked up several tiles.

"The starting piece you choose must be a flower. 4 to 12 pieces may be used in the beginning of the game. Your side must be symmetrical to mine." He explained, setting down a tile on his, then mine, then his, then mine. "On your turn, you have several choices. You can move a piece already placed, place a new piece, or use a pieces special ability." He said, showing how a game would be played visually as he described it. He described things called harmonies, where two pieces are in a straight line that _can_ create a harmony and how red and white flowers in their respective colored spots give extra points. By creating disharmonies, the opponent loses a point. Moving pieces can only be moved in a straight line, up to three spaces, except for the lilly. Pieces can be captured, and in the end, a player tallies their captured pieces and harmony points, deducting disharmonies against them to find their total.

"That's fascinating." I said, looking up at Iroh for the first time since he started explaining. He looked pleased.

"Now it is time for you to play." My smile fell.

"Uhh..I don't think I'd be able to…"

"Nonsense! You will do fine, my dear! I feel as if you have the potential of a great player. But remember this;" He leaned over, as if about to tell me some great secret. "Pai Sho is more than a game. It holds many secrets and is an ancient art. You will someday see." He picked up a tile and placed it on the board. "The White Lotus….your move."

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There we go. Short update, so sorry. Please don't forget to add your opinion as a review or even pm.

Thank you! SYANU!

P.s...Pai Sho _does_ exist. That is a very basic explanation of the game. You can all go buy a board and play now :)...or not. It was very vague ^.^ Sounds like a wonderful game though!


	7. Chapter 7

Here it is, the next chapter. It was a bit awkward to write, but I hope you enjoy it.

I decided not to switch POV's, mostly because...well it just wouldn't make since when writing in this style! Which means we'll be missing a lot from Zuko's side.

I _did_ recieve a suggestion in a pm from someone, suggesting that I write a parallel story in his pov only...let me know what you think. If I did, it wouldn't be until after I finished this story...So review and let me know how you feel about it.

**Shaybo27: **I'm glad you feel that way! I try :) I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

**maruarderlove: **Thanks :3

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"Excellent!" I leaned against the metal wall of my cell, smiling triumphantly. It had only been a week, but Iroh had visited me every day to play Pai Sho and have lunch together. I had finally won my first game. "I have never known anyone who could pick up Pai Sho so easily! You are a wonder!" He said, in awe and joy. I grinned.

"I know!" He laughed at my response, one hand on his belly. My grin turned into a soft smile. I had come to enjoy the man's company. The frigid guards and the rude prince would turn my mood sour in the morning. Zuko would come in and demand information, and the guards were simply…mindless. Of course, I wouldn't even speak to the haughty prince. Iroh, however, was a jolly old man who was done with the ridiculousness of the fire nation. He simply wanted to live, drink tea, eat, and play Pai Sho. I respected that.

However, I was starting to feel stir crazy. I wanted another trip on deck…the air did not move in the cell. The water was overbearing and contained. I did not like it, at all.

"Iroh…" My voice was soft, and though I had a gentle look on my face, the old man could see just how serious I was. "I wish to go on deck again…I wish to…train? May I?" He seemed to consider my request for a moment.

"I can get you on deck, but…to train…"

"Please! I'll train against you! You're a master, I can't possibly beat you!" His face lit up at the ego boost and he blushed.

"Well…perhaps it will be okay!" And, just like that, I was on my way back up to the deck. This time, Zuko was training on deck with two soldiers. The two faced him and they seemed to be staring each other down. The soldier to the left initiated the fight, sending a wave of fire out. The second quickly joined in, and Zuko was forced to duck and roll out of the way of the two blasts. He retaliated quickly, sending two blasts of fire from his hands at them. One was hit, falling back and out of the fight. The other went on to send waves of flame at him. I looked up at Iroh, who was watching with calculating eyes. Finally, he began walking forward, and I followed. "No, Prince Zuko, you use too much muscle and not enough breath!" He said in a demanding tone. Apparently, this was not a new problem. "How can you ever expect to be a great fire bender if you never properly follow your basics!"

"Quiet, uncle!" He said, rather rudely. I raised a brow at this.

"You should listen to your uncle. All elements are controlled through breathing, not power." I said softly, earning a glare in response. For once, I didn't return it.

"I do not need the advice of some girl." He said crossly, turning his back to me. I was _livid._ _He's just as bad as Sokka!_ I brought my hands up, about to start bending when Iroh placed a calming hand on my shoulder.

"You can show him you are worth respecting." He said, winking at me. I smiled. "Nephew, you have not yet sparred against a water bender. Would you like the chance?" At this, the prince turned around.

"And give her a chance to escape?"

"I won't escape!" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. "It's not like I have the desire to swim for _days on end_ out here!" He glared at me.

"Well you should start considering it, because you won't last long, talking to me like that on _my_ ship."

"Enough!" Iroh said, sounding exasperated. "Zuko, you will watch. Come, Ghost." He said, gesturing to the open area of the ship that Zuko had previously been training in. The prince himself stood off to the side, leaning against the railing with an annoyed expression on his face and his arms crossed firmly across his chest. Iroh stood on one side while I stood on the other. Taking a deep breath, we both adopted our stances, eyes locked on one another. He moved first.

In some complicated move I would never dream of replicating, he sent a wave of fire my way. Bringing my hand up and around in a circular motion, I brought water from the ocean up to shield me. The moment the fire dissipated, I transformed the wall into shards of ice, sending them flying with a push outward. He dodged most and deflected the rest with fire, and so we were staring at one another yet again.

He ran toward me, though slower than anyone of a prime age could, and I easily dodged his attack. I surrounded myself with vines of water, all swirling around me in a ball-like shape. With intricate movements, I moved the vines of water outward to wrap around his wrists and legs and froze them to one another, causing them to become like chains. I spun with my arms outward, bringing water in from the air around us and sending them spiraling at Iroh, who was currently melting the ice bonds. He freed himself just in time. With a smile of approval, Iroh moved forward and sent another wave of fire at me, which I had more trouble deflecting. He was done playing. I stepped forward, bringing my arms over my head before down and out, causing a wave to come up behind me and rush toward Iroh. The boat rocked with the raging waters, but Iroh was unfazed, easily getting through my attack. With a growl, I sent another forward with an extra whip-like motion to hopefully knock the old man off of his feet. Iroh dodged my attack entirely, sending his own wave of powerful fire at me. The heat was immense before it even approached me, and I stared at the approaching flame, frozen in both wonder and fear. I felt drawn to it and at the same time, I felt a wave of fear hit me. I stepped back, putting my arms up in front of me to shield myself from the flames, hoping they would take the most of the burns.

But instead, the heat seemed to dissipate as I felt some sort of wind current around me, and there was a silence on board. I slowly lowered my arms, finding everyone's eyes locked on me. Zuko looked like he was unsure of whether or not to feel angry or confused while Iroh looked deep in thought. I locked eyes with the prince, my gaze questioning. "What-"

I never got to finish that question. The boat jerked and swayed violently, as if something had just crashed into it. I felt myself falling forward with the force and I grasped the railing tightly, holding onto it as it rocked back into place. I looked up to find most of the crew on the ground, scrambling to get up and shouting orders to one another. I stood straight as well, intending to move below deck to stay out of the way. I took two steps before the ship was hit again on the other side, the boat rocking dangerously to the side. I was swept off my feet, gravity pulling me down. I slammed against the railing, feeling a burst of pain in my hip before I fell over, letting out a short shout of surprise before I hit the water hard.

The water was warm and enveloped me as if welcoming me into its depths. In fact, it pulled me in deeper, and I felt my heart beat quicken. I was not used to working under water, and I realized then that my lack of training with large water bodies left me unable to bend my way anywhere. I began swimming frantically to reach the top, following the sunlight that had previously been shrinking away in the depths of the water. Before I could reach the surface, something wrapped itself around my waist and I felt it tug at me, pulling me down into the water. I looked down; shifting my eyes through the darkness to see the thing wrapped around me was some kind of tentacle.

Severely unaware of warm water creatures, I began to panic more. My chest began to ache with my lack of air, and it took every bit of will power I had not to breathe in as I turned and struggled to unsheathe my dagger. I wiggled and pulled, before I finally couldn't hold my breath any longer. My mouth opened to draw in air and my lungs protested at receiving none. I let go of the dagger and brought my hands up to my chest, wincing at the pain. My heart felt as if it were about to burst from the absolute state of panic I was in, and my world was darkening. Honestly, I could not tell if it was because the creature was dragging me deeper into the waters or because my lack of oxygen was beginning to affect my sight. Either way, I knew this was it. I would die.

I felt something else wrap around my midsection and closed my eyes, feeling my consciousness slipping away. I was swallowed by darkness, and I could feel and hear nothing. It was so welcoming, and I felt as if I was simply falling asleep in a warm bed. I was seconds from submitting myself to the blissful darkness when I was suddenly pulled back into reality, my lungs emptying themselves of the water and deep, painful coughs racking through my body.

My eyes snapped open to reveal wide, panicked golden eyes and I took in a deep, painful breath that caused me to groan and cough several more times, my body shaking with the intensity as I turned onto my side. My throat burned and my chest ached with every breath I took, my mouth drying with the saltiness of the water that remained. The rush of water in my ears muffled the sounds around me and I let my head rest on the metal deck, feeling very cold and uncomfortable. I wished I could crawl back into whatever part of my mind held that quiet, dark comfort.

I felt arms slip under my upper back and knees before I was raised and collided with a solid, bare, and very warm chest. Subconsciously, I curled into the warmth to stop the shivering, resting my head against his shoulder.

"Where will you take her?" I felt relief flood through me as I could hear clearly again. Mostly, at least. I felt the slight rocking as the person holding me began moving. Iroh had spoken. So who held me?

"My quarters." The gruff reply would have caused me to jump out of his arms, were I not so tired. Instead, my heart simply stopped for a moment.

Zuko was the one holding me? Had he been the one to pull me out of the water? Had he been the one to save me?

I realized then that it was, in fact, his golden eyes that I had first seen upon waking up. Which brings up one question.

Why would he save me? I was nothing but a pain to him. I provided him with no information. There was no reason for him to keep me on the ship. So, why didn't he let me die?

My mind felt fuzzy, and I decided to let these thoughts return another time. Until then, I needed sleep.

I heard a door open and close almost immediately and warmth washed over me. I fell asleep before he could even take another step.

I woke up violently, sitting up and drawing in air as I came out of my nightmare. I had been surrounded by fire, but it did not burn me. Instead, it began to drown me. I shook the thought from my head, not wanting to feel the horrible panic that had found its way inside of me during the dream. Instead, I looked around the room I was in.

It was just as I remembered his room looking, and the prince himself was nowhere in sight. Across from me on some type of table were several candles, every other one lit. To my left was a pile of clothing, and it was then that I realized I was half naked. I had been stripped to my brazier and underpants and covered with a thick blanket. I blushed furiously at the thought of anyone on that ship…seeing me…as they were all males. I picked up the clothing, recognizing it as something an earth bender would wear. It kept very true to my style, I found, slipping it on immediately.

The shirt hugged my torso and left my arms bare, though it revealed a fair amount of my markings. It was a dark brown that actually complimented my skin tone. The pants were baggy in style and fell just above my calves, also brown in color. A pair of brown shoes were underneath, the tops soft and tight and the bottoms harder, as if it were made of some type of rubber. They were comfortable and airy, and the straps held them securely. There was a brush on the ground as well, and I realized that it must have been Iroh who considered my need for a brush. It was obvious that they had stopped at an earth kingdom dock to replenish their supplies. I was upset that I had missed it. The stop would have been the perfect opportunity to escape, or at least to see another part of the world, one my father came from. I sighed, pulling at my tangled hair. My hair, covered in the fine grains of salt, felt grainy and greasy. The thick locks took a while to brush through, but I sighed in content when it became silky once more. I noticed it had grown, now down to mid back.

There was a small window above me, and I guessed it was fairly early in the afternoon from the extreme concentration of sunlight that passed through. I finally stood up, using the wall for support as my stiff muscles protested. Once steady, I made my way over to the door, opening it slowly and quietly. I poked my head out, looking down the hall both ways. Someone was walking away from me, turning the corner, but I was otherwise alone. I slipped out silently, trying to remember my way through the halls. After ten minutes of walking, I found myself back at Zuko's room. Sighing, I leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, resting my arms on my knees and closing my eyes. I felt exhausted, and the small task had not only drained me of more energy but had also frustrated me. For several minutes I sat there, listening to the sounds of life on board…obviously above me. I was surrounded by a calm on my floor.

And then footsteps came from my left. I stayed still and silent, opening my eyes only when they were within two feet of me. I looked up to meet the eyes of a middle-aged man. He had gray hair and side burns that connected to an almost-mustache. His gold eyes were looking at me with curiosity as he raised one eyebrow.

"Are you alright?" I stared up at him, unsure of what to say. He sounded kind and sincere, but his expression was bored, to say the least. In retaliation, I matched his expression.

"Yes." I said strongly, and we simply stared for a moment. He was the first to crack, smiling down at me.

"I heard you walking around earlier. Are you lost?" I stared up at him questioningly now.

"How did you know it was me?" He crossed his arms in amusement.

"Your footsteps are far lighter and irregular compared everyone else's. Trust me, it's not difficult. Would you like to go on deck? General Iroh and Prince Zuko are up there. I assume you'd like to speak to them." I stood up, my eyes not leaving his.

"You're right; I would _love_ to speak to Iroh." He let out an amused grunt as he walked passed me. I followed behind him, uncomfortable with the silence. "I'm Lieutenant Jee, by the way." He said, as if he read my mind. I nodded for a moment, before realizing he was in _front_ of me.

"I assume you know me." I said, smiling. He let out a puff of laughter.

"Yes, I have seen you around, Ghost. The general seems to think you are quite talented at Pai Sho."

"He does." I agreed, thinking of all of his constant compliments.

"You had everyone wondering." He said suddenly, and all thoughts of Pai Sho left my mind. Wondering? About what?

"About?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at the back of his head.

"Well, at first we were wondering what exactly you are. That was not water bending that shielded you." He said, throwing a curious look over his shoulder. "But, lately we've been wondering if you'd wake up." He said, rounding a corner. The stairs came into view. I squinted against the light.

"If? How long was I asleep?" I asked, bringing a hand up to shield my eyes. It was _bright_.

"Four days." We reached the stairs and he turned back to me. "Brace yourself. Who knows what mood it'll put the prince in to see you." He said, a bit of exasperation bleeding into his tone before he turned away and began walking up the steps. I, however, stayed still. Four days? Had I hit my head? I brought my hand up and ran it through my hair, feeling for any healing gashes or bumps. Nothing. I frowned deeply, trying to find an answer to why I would be unconscious for so long.

"Lieutenant, do we have a heading?" The gruff voice of Zuko brought me out of my thoughts. He sounded anxious and, at the same time, tired. I climbed up a few steps, gripping the metal railing tightly as the ship rocked.

"Yes, we have word that he has appeared in Omashu. We were given a direction in which he left as well. It is near a prison of ours."

"Good. Make sure we stay on course." The prince snapped, and I raised an eyebrow, staring at the steps in front of me. The lieutenant joined me back on the steps, a look of annoyance on his face.

"On second thought, you may want to pretend to be out for another day or two." He whispered, passing me without a look in my direction. I smiled slightly, though it died quickly, and took a deep breath. I climbed the rest of the stairs, my eyes sweeping the deck. Zuko stood toward the side, looking out over the waters with his hands gripping the railings, his back to me entirely. Iroh was sitting at his usual table, playing Pai Sho with a steaming teapot next to the board. There was one man sitting opposite him who I recognized to be a soldier; one of the several who could not fire bend. I stepped forward quietly, approaching Iroh.

"No! That move was entirely wrong! The goal is to get to the _other_ side, not back to yours!" Iroh said, sounding slightly irritated. The man looked up, about to throw back an equally irritated comment when his eyes landed on me and he froze. "What is wrong with you, can you not understand simple instruction?"

"I'm not so sure it's _simple._" I muttered, feeling a need to blow my cover and defend the young man. Iroh immediately turned, and I saw the prince do so as well out of the corner of my eye.

"Ghost! You are awake! Have a seat!" Iroh said cheerfully, and the young man gladly stood and offered me his seat. I gave him a small smile before moving to take the seat across from Iroh, who was already pouring me a cup of tea. "You must be thirsty. Here, have some Jasmine Tea." He said, pushing the warm cup into my hands. I looked down into the warm liquid, examining it before bringing the cup up to my lips and taking a small sip. As always, Iroh's tea tasted wonderful. "You had us all worried! You look much better. You are feeling alright?" I looked up at him calmly, examining his joyful expression with a nod. I smiled before looking to my left, taking my first look at the prince. I could feel him watching me that entire time, and as my eyes locked with his, I felt my blood run cold.

He looked absolutely livid, and he stared at me with an intensity that made me feel like I was back in my dream, drowning in a sea of fire.

"So, now that we know you are well, I need to discuss a few things with you." Iroh said, his voice serious. I turned my attention back to him, freezing for a moment before setting my teacup down.

"Is it about why I was unconscious for so long?" I asked softly. For some reason, I was now feeling afraid of everything. This ship, fire, the water, even Iroh. I did not feel the normal comfort and warmth that I normally did, and I felt myself shake slightly in response to a chill that ran up my spine. I loosely hugged myself, thinking that perhaps I was cold. Inside, maybe, but not out. The sun was warm, and there was little to no breeze. Still, I acted cold, hoping they would not be able to tell that I was afraid.

"Partially." He said carefully, reaching under the table and pulling out a book. He cleared the table of the tiles and the board, placing them on the ground next to him neatly. Very lightly, he placed the book on the table, directly in the middle, looking at me expectantly. I gave him a curious look before tentatively reaching out and opening the book, pulling it closer to me. I looked up at him then, my eyebrow raised.

"History of the Avatar?" I asked, looking over to the prince as well. At this point, I was simply confused.

"It is a book that I found quit interesting. There is a particular sentence in the first paragraph on air avatars that caught my attention." Iroh said, turning the book for me to page 52. I leaned down slightly, squinting as I read the book.

"Air Benders of the Avatar Cycle" I read, scanning the page. "I don't understand what this has to do with anything…" I said quietly, searching for any words that may talk about Aang or even water benders.

"Try this sentence." Iroh said, pointing to a sentence at the end of the paragraph. As I read, I heard the sounds of the prince walking over before he stopped, standing next to me.

"An old legend speaks of a soul relative of every seventh air avatar. Proof of such a theory is so hard to find, that it is easily dismissed. Only two have been confirmed out of the many avatars our world has seen." I read, squinting at the text. "I don't understand."

"What you did to defend yourself was not a type of water bending." Iroh said, closing the book. I looked up at him, my eyebrows furrowed. I bit my lip. "It was air bending. Your instinct took over and you used the most effect element to your advantage." He explained, looking at me curiously. I looked down at the table.

"So, I'm an avatar? Why can I not earth bend?" Iroh looked up at his nephew for a moment.

"They say that the soul relative of the avatar can bend only three elements." I looked up at the prince, surprised that _he_ had answered my question. He no longer looked mad. _Maybe he thought I knew…_"You will have to read the rest yourself." I stared at him for a moment before standing.

"So, you'll be taking me to your father, then? Or will you kill me here? If I'm enough to pass as an avatar, isn't that all you need?" My voice was quiet but harsh, and my stare was strong. He narrowed his eyes at me slightly before glaring.

"I was sent to capture the avatar, not someone who wishes they could be one. You're of no use to me." I gaped at him for a moment before turning back around and walking the two steps to the railing. I gripped the railing tightly, stepping on the bottom rung and leaning over slightly, looking at the water. A small gust of wind pushed my hair back off of my shoulders and I closed my eyes, feeling it brush against my skin. The rays of sunlight warmed my skin and made my shivering calm. I would use my oh-so-lovely charm to win this battle. I _was_ a good actor. "What do you think you're doing?" I heard him ask, curiosity, annoyance, and anxiety all in his voice.

"If I'm no use to you, I'll be thrown back into that cell, and I can't stand it there. I need sun and wind and water. I need to get better at water bending somehow…I need to find out if I really am able to bend three elements…so either I learn now, or I drown." I said nonchalantly, throwing my legs over the railing and bracing myself. With several quick steps he was behind me, one hand grabbing my wrist as I let go while his other arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back onto the ship. "Hey! Let go!" I thrashed as much as I could as he pulled me back over the railing, which wasn't very much due to my exhaustion. Once I was back over the railing, he turned me to face him and gripped my arms tightly, locking eyes with me. We both glared at each other for several minutes before Iroh cleared his throat.

"Perhaps we could arrange a room for her, nephew." He suggested, acting as if I hadn't just attempted to jump off the ship. We didn't drop glares, and it seemed, after a while, that we were simply studying each other.

"You _will_ stay on this ship." He said lowly, his voice gravelly. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Oh, I will? What do I get from it?" I asked haughtily, enjoying the leverage I had in this situation. He growled.

"You live." He said roughly, pushing me back. I collided with the railing, glaring back up at him.

"I'll have the freedom to roam the ship." I said sharply, making sure he knew it was a demand rather than a suggestion. He scowled at me, and I could just see how much he wanted to burn me with his glare alone.

"Fine." He turned then, nearly stomping away. I stayed, standing against the railing, glaring at his retreating form as he walked towards the steps.

"So," Iroh said calmly, placing the Pai Sho board back on the table. "How about a game?"

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Lol Iroh...anyway please review! I allow anonymous, too!

Thanks for reading, let me know what you think!

SYANU 3


	8. Chapter 8

Okay guys, I need _**your** _help!

Due to a recent review given for one of my stories, I decided to reach out to my wonderful readers and ask for assistance!_  
_

It has been brought to my attention (Sorta, I already knew this was my weakest point ^.^;;) that my characterization is weak. So, here is my personal request to all of you!

I am **_swamped_**with college and work. As it is, it's hard enough for me to add a few sentences a day. As much as I would love to sit down and write chapter after chapter (Much like how this started,) I simply don't have the time.

In relation to this, I would also love to sit down and research tips and tricks on writing and really sharpening my weak points. But I haz no time! Nor do I have the money to buy educational resources to help me.

SO! Here is where all of you wonderful people come in! Here it is:

If you know of any good websites or cheap/online books that I could look up and read in a short amount of time, send them to me in a link, preferably as a** PM.** The reason for this method is because I would like to keep reviews purely story related, rather than a bunch of links to (No, I have no clue if that's a real website or not.) However, if you are reading this and have no account, I would not mind seeing an anonymous review with a tip :)** I** **DO ASK** that when sending me the link, you provide the name of the website. (For example: Hi! Here's a link to "Writers Tips" - )

You guys will be helping me so much, and I know at least a couple of you will try :) Also, any in depth reviews of my story are welcome. I **will** read three paragraphs of pure review about my rights and wrongs in my writing. I love getting feedback. However, if you all would add suggestions or solutions, that would be incredibly helpful as well. While I always appreciate the negative feedback as much as the positive, sometimes it makes my life a little more difficult when I have to guess what my reviewers are trying to say!

I love all of you faithful readers, and I am genuinely excited to hear back from you :) I look forward to your feedback!

I AM posting this on **all** of my stories. I truly am looking for as much feedback/advice/etc as possible.

Thanks, and SYANU!


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